Daisuki Papa!
by suzubell-chan
Summary: When Alice finds several little girls, she can't help but take them in. How is Alice gonna react when she finds out not only that they're from the future, but also each one has a Roleholder for a father and a Foreigner for a mother! Sorry if summary sucks
1. Chapter 1 The Lost Girl

Chapter 1 The Lost Girl

Alice was walking back to Clover Tower, carrying the groceries for dinner. "If I don't get back home soon Gray will probably start trying to cook and that's just a disaster waiting to happen." she chuckled as times when Gray's culinary skills had sent the other Roleholders frantically to their offices seeking shelter behind locked doors. She continued to trudge through the path that was cornered by two frosted blankets of snow. As the afternoon sky traditional blue succeeded to an aurora of oranges and reds her mind pondered and recalled one name.

"Lorina…" a whisper escape her lips. Her beloved older sister, it had been about six months since she had decided to remain in the crazy world. She thought that she would miss Wonderland and her new friends more than missing the only person in her world who truly cared about her. Here in this world, despite the endless war, she felt at home with the twisted yet lovable inhabitants, however there were times when caught herself shedding a tear in memory of her sister. Just like now…

She shook her head, releasing the dark oppressing thoughts out her skull. " Ugh.. I'm bringing myself down, besides I'll be fine. She looked her new life she had a nice home, a face and name (which was a rarity in Wonderland) , enough friends to last a lifetime (though there were a might an exception from time to time) which all were happy to spend time with their favorite damsel and if that didn't work she just eat some chocolate on her plush bed, read an amusing book , take a long soak in the tub, snuggle up to one her plushies, close her teal eyes, and soon her depression would disappear and she would have a new day to spend with her zany, if not sweet companions.

Finding enjoyment in her plan, a grin spread across her face and her pace quicken, then with a couple paces, the stick that stood straight up was beginning to for the familiar sight she called home. Alice was daydreaming of soaking, lounging in the tub, the hot water welcome to take a hold of her forever, when unfamiliar crunching caused her to halt her race. Her aquamarine eyes crossed the lane, from endless row on one side to the other but the scene remained untouched. "A bath, a long one" Alice grumbled. The sound became softer as it suddenly died and was replaced by a sound, a sound that wretched out her heart.

"Mama.. Sniff...Papa…Sniff… Everyone….Hic! Where are you? ..Hic! Mama….Papa….." it was a voice, belonging to someone younger than her yet full of distraught and grief, definitely not to someone she knew. Alice inched toward the trees hoping to get a better peak at voice and the its owner.

_***SNAP***_

_***CRUNCH* *CRUNCH* *CRUNCH***_

Alice jumped at the sound of the snap. "What ever that sound was it scared the them off." she thought. She stepped back to find that her footprint was under a puny twig. "Damn!" she cursed herself and saw some more footprints just in front of her. They were much smaller than her own, even smaller than Dee's and Dum's kid size prints. "Just who is this person?" Alice mumbled.

_***CRUNCH***_

Alice turned around, the footprints still in her gaze, saw the end of the petite pattern, in the snow, behind one of the countless trees. "Hello? Is anybody there?" Instantly, a tiny hand grabbed the side of the tree. One crimson eye slowly appeared on the tree, a strand of cream colored hair hovered above it. "It's okay, don't worry. I won't hurt you, come on." Alice hunched and let her open palm stick out in the air. The eye and strand soon became part of a face, part of a head then part of a little girl.

Alice couldn't help but stare at her. The child owned eyes the color of fine wine, a cream colored mop on her head, and barely went up to Alice's hip, but those qualities were not the most unusual characteristics . Her ears were furry, long _**RABBIT **_ears the same color of her hair. Yet, even without the fuzzy ears she still bore the strong resemblance to a certain stalking rabbit. Even her checkered skirt matched Peter's jacket perfectly. However, unlike the kid, Peter was always more properly dressed for the seasons. Her checkered skirt, was that a skirt, showing a pair of azure knees. She wore an ivory shirt, with a plaid ribbon on her chest and sleeves puffed up at the shoulders didn't go mush farther than that. Her blanched socks and crimson buckled shoes seemed to short for the harsh cold that the winter brought.

Her face was truly the heart wrenching sight. Her ruby eyes were had a band of magenta surrounding them. At the corners of the child's eyes two dewdrops hung, just waiting to fall like rain. She continued to sniffle over and over, just waited to turn into sobs. Her snow white ears flopped, a sequence Alice was familiar with since she had seen it before, on both of the men she knew with similar ears.

Alice swallowed. "Hello there, little one. My name is Alice Liddell. What's yours?"

"Na..Natsuki White. Can you help me find my family, please?" The girl whispered, barely audible. Her eyes now staring at the foreigner.

"White? As in Peter White?" the words shot out with a thought to them.

The child's eyes widened and look of relief seemed to have swept her face "Yes, he's my papa! Do you know where he is?"


	2. Chapter 2

Hello Y'all! Sorry I did not introduce myself earlier ***bow bow* **I hope I can write in a story that everyone likes. This is my first fan fiction, and I hope y'all like it! ***Doki Doki* **I thought this would interesting since there seem to a lot of stories about Alice's child, so, I thought what would happen if Alice stayed, got married and had kids in Wonderland. Now, who is the lucky guy? I hope that I can get their personalities right. I apologize if any if not everyone is out of character.

This series will have cute and funny moments between Alice, the girls, and The Roleholders (of course) with some romantic moments along the way (I think I should change it to a Family/Humor I'll write some more and let you guys decide)

Any names, suggestions, and tips you can give me will be loved and appreciated! I love reading the reviews, I get embarrass when people say the like my story! By the way, if isn't obvious this takes place in Joker, in modern times, seasons add more feel, no? Anyway Arigato!

See you guys later!

I don't HnKnA, but if I did… the games would already be available in the USA by now!

* * *

Chapter 2 The Fainting Foreigner! The Little Heartbeat!

"P…Pa…Papa? W…What the hell?" was the thought that galloped through Alice's mind. "Peter is a…a…father!" Her mind went blank "No one ever said anything… what's going on?" Alice's felt dizzy; everything around her began to fade into black. "Is it night time already?" Alice questioned as she felt the earth slide underneath her feet.

_***SPLAT* **_

Alice's first sense that return helped her realized that cold slush had been slammed into her cheek. The second sense turned everything back to white. Alice twisted her neck, to the small girl who had caused the mind boggling in the first place.

"Natsuki!" Alice roared. Her teal eyes had flames in their pupils until they were extinguished by rain that fell from the scarlet irises.

"Sorry...but you looked like you were going to faint and well I didn't have any water. I'm sorry…I didn't know what to do…I didn't want to be alone again…" Natsuki voice faded, ears hung lower than ever before. "I'm really sorry Alice-san."

Alice's chest tighten and pink painted her cheeks. "She's so adorable and sweet…I really can't blame her…" Alice thought and took a few steps and soon she was face to face with the little girl. "Well, it worked." she smirked as put her arms around Natsuki's petite waist, burying the child's head in her chest. "It's okay, don't worry. I'm fine, really, there's now need to worry about it."

"Really Alice-san?" Natsuki sniffled, slightly muffled due her face in chest.

"Of course and don't call me Alice-san. Makes me feel like a old lady." Alice teased. Swiftly she felt something clomped to her chest.

"Thank…*sniff*…you…Alice-onee-chan"

Natsuki's hands clenched tighter on Alice's back. Tear's continued to stream from the scarlet eyes. Her head rubbed back and forth on Alice's chest. Alice rubbed the back of her head and slowly lifted her off the ground.

"Now, let's get you warm, okay?" Alice whispered, gazing at Natsuki who had finally stopped crying.

Natsuki didn't say anything just nodded her head and continued to nuzzle her head on Alice's chest.

"You're too cute, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know." piped Natsuki, and on her a face a wide stretched from side to side, and her fuzzy ears perked up. Alice grinned back, relief washing over her.

"So Cute!" repeated constantly inside her head, only to wither when she remembered Natsuki's words.

"Um… Natsuki tell me more about you. How did you get lost?" Alice inquired, hoping to find someanswers to countless questions that had swamped her mind.

"I was playing hide-and-seek with Papa, Mama, Onii-chan and Onee-chan in the castle garden." Natsuki started. Alice nearly dropped Natsuki and her groceries, which had never left her right arm. (weird aint it?)

"Onii-san, onee-san? Wait there's more of them?" Alice mind wondered, but came back when Natsuki's blood red eyes looked up, her head slightly tilted away from Alice's chest.

"Oh, I'm sorry, please continue. What were you saying?" Alice reassured, deciding that the girl in her arms had information that was more precious than her own theories.

"Well, Mama was counting and the rest of us were trying to hide. Mama and Papa always stay in the castle grounds, unless we were going out, but I thought if I could win if was a little farther away from everyone, so left the garden and went out into the woods. I thought I could hide behind a tree or bush…but I found this hole at the base of the tree… I was small enough to fit inside… so I thought I sneak inside….but there was a hole…it was too dark…when I got in I fell….I screamed…but… no one heard me…I saw this really bright light…I continued to fall…I think I might of fallen asleep…when I woke up…I was all alone…"

Alice felt some rain fall her hand, but the sky was still dressed in vermilion with large puffy frills of pearl. The scarlet irises belonging to child became even redder. Alice began to pat the eggshell locks on the rabbits head.

"It's okay. You'll be alright; I'll take care of you."

She snuggled Natsuki's pump, apple cheeks, automatically ceasing the waterworks.

"Now let's talk about something else." Alice redirected, guessing that the girl had been through enough for a day, if not a lifetime.

"Alice-onee-chan you're really nice…"Natsuki's voice began to trail off. "You're really nice and kind and your heart sounds so nice. Just like Mama's and mine."

"Mama's? Yours?" Alice's head began to spin again, her mind unable to comprehend what the child meant.

At that moment, Natsuki took Alice's right hand, the plastic bag in Alice's hand sliding down to her elbow, laying it on her hand on the carnelian ribbon and, within seconds…

_***TH-THUMP* *TH-THUMP* TH-THUMP***_

Alice's own heart stopped. She had only heard that sound on certain occasions, most the time, when all was silent and she alone, when she placed her hand on her chest. A sound so unique yet strange, it was one was one of a kind in Wonderland, but it was as common as dirt in her old world.

"Natsuki…is your mother a foreigner?" Alice whispered, her heart seemed to beating loudly enough to be ringing in her ears.

"Yep!" the rabbit replied, suddenly Natsuki saw the honeydip blonde maiden's face turn paler than the snow.

"Alice-onee-chan! Don't faint again!" the child screamed.

That snapped Alice back to reality, but only to have her mind drenched filled of questions, overflowing her mind, but only one manage the penatrate her lips

"When were you born?" it was a strange question, but one that help uncover something about the girl, placing her in a certain time might help Alice uncover something about the child's past.

"March 14th , 2014." were the words that were bluntly spouted out the tiny mouth.

"Um I hate to break this to you but today is September 17 , 2010." Alice corrected. "Did you hit your head on your way down that hole?"

"That can't be… I'm not lying!" Natsuki yelled, her small hands becoming fists.

"I'm not saying, you are, but do you have some proof?" questioned the foreigner, her voice trying to sooth, while it was her own mind was the thing that needed soothing the most.

The little girl looked down, her ears once again drooping. Her clenched hands sitting on her rose red skirt, when one of the hand slid in a hidden pocket, retriving a fushia card, on one side it held a golden scribble which read

Dear Natsuki,

To our darling daughter

Happy 8th Birthday

With lots of love always

Mama and Papa

3/14/22

"It's from a tag on one of the gifts I got on a birthday present, a few days ago we had a party in gardens just for me! Everyone was there!" the girl boasted, her ears standing erect and a childish smile was worn proudly on her face.

"Well, looks like you were not lying." Alice commented About any of it, but I'm not lying either the date is September 17th 2010."

"So, I'm in the past… I wonder everyone is like now." wondered Natsuki

"Is everyone a little crazy some more then other, but still a little looney?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, that's like everyone I know." Natsuki replied.

"Then looks like nothing, change much." Alice grinned and lifted the Natsuki up to her face, and began rubbed her cheek against the child. The result was a smile that was placed on both girls' faces.

As Alice continued to stroll to the tower, Alice couldn't help but let her mind wonder around her new found problems.

"There no doubt she's from the future and that's she Peter's daughter, but if she is from the future how did she end up here? What's happened to Wonderland over the years? Is there another foreigner living in Heart Castle or maybe…."

Alice stared at the top of the crème mop.

"Or maybe I'm her mother…"

* * *

Hiyo!( My play on the word Ohayo)

"This is Alice."

"This is Natsuki"

"This is suzubell-chan"

"**Thank you very much for reading this!"**

***bow* *bow* *bow***

"This story is kinda dramatic ain't it are you sure is this a humor story?"

"Don't worry there are gonna be some comedy along with some sweet moments too! I'm just working up to them."

"Hey suzubell-chan?:"

"What is it Natsuki?"

"When are my friends gonna show up?"

"They will as the story goes on. Once you guys come in that's when the comedy and sweet stuff truly happens. There's just one a little bit of writer's block."

"Boy, I get stuck with a lazy author_** great **_this is gonna take a while, folks."

"Hey, it's not that I'm just having trouble with names."

"Names?"

"Yeah, I need to find more names for the other girls."

"How could that stop the story?"

"Hey, I wrote this story I can change any I want to."

"Okay, okay, so what's the problem?"

"I need some more names, Japanese and certain meanings."

"Certain meanings?"

"Yeah, I want names that have a connection to their fathers. Whether it be a physical, personal, or spiritual."

"Does my name have some connection to Papa?"

"Yep, I'll explain later, but now I still need more names."

"I'm sure the viewers can help with that along with sending tips, comments, and other things that can make this story better."

"All right folks, you heard the little lady, send me something to work with here."

"**We'll see you soon!"**

"Ahhhh!" *scramble scramble*

"Who are you? Where the hell did you come from?"

"Calm down, Alice-onee-chan! She's my friend!"

"And our newest character."

"I hope you like me."

"Me too! Me too!"

"Send us your love and hope to hear from you soon!"

"By the way, suzubell-chan doesn't me, my friends, or HnKnA in general, that belongs to Quinrose."

"Well, that's enough of that! I'll see y'all later."


	3. Chapter 3 A New Dreamland!

Hi everyone! I hope everyone likes this story so far. I hope I get many reviews for this and the other chapters! (Even though there is not that many…but I am gonna fix that soon!)

Umm…I think you guys getting a little confused. Not all the girls are Alice's kids. In another story, all of Alice's friends come to Wonderland and each one fall in love with a different Roleholder. That is why each Roleholder has a wife and family. My idea is that Alice and her friends live in modern day Japan, (before they fall into wonderland) having family originating the country, have some precious memories of their past world. Therefore, they want to have some tie their past world by naming a few of their kids, names from their "old" world. Although I'm planning to give all of Alice's friends English names… I know this is one weird story. But I'm a weird girl so it's ok!

Now on to the story! I do not own HnKnA, just the kids and the idea.

* * *

Chapter 3 A New Dreamland! Now There's Three in the Bed!

Alice sighed. Finally, she was home, at Clover Tower. The warm breeze, enveloping them, followed the long creak of the immense, copper doors. Natsuki exhaled as her numb skin began to soften and, soon, she began to squirm. Her head swayed back and forth, her wooly, ivory ears rubbing Alice's chin. Alice kept on giggling up the stairs.

"Everything looks the same." Natsuki remarked.

"Is…*pfft*…is that so..? Ha…" Alice stuttered, trying to hide her chuckling.

The countless stairs finally ended, the sterling carpet continued under Alice feet. Surrounding her left and right sides were a whole slew of doors, each facing its twin.

"It's no wonder that Ace gets lost in here. I get confused by looking at all these doors." Alice said.

"Yeah, they make Natsuki's head spin." Natsuki agreed.

The foreigner mind came across a thought. "Hey, Natsuki?"

"Yeah?" the child replied

"Let's not tell anyone that you're Peter's kid or that you're from the future." said the blonde

"Why?" asked the young rabbit, her confusion as plain as the ears on her head.

"This is the past, remember?" Alice reminded. "The Peter I know isn't married or has kids, so it be a bit of a shock to every one, especially peter if a kid suddenly called him 'Papa.' It'll hard to explain, even though you're from the future. I'm the only foreigner living in Wonderland, so I don't want anyone thinking weird things…." Alice's mind automatically turned to the prospect of Peter's love rantings and stalking growing if he found out _**SHE**_ was going to be his wife, a prospect hoped wouldn't come true.

"Oh. Okay! I'll won't tell anyone! It'll be our little secret." the child pressed a finger to her grinning lips, closing one cardinal eye.

Alice's cheeks turned cherry blossom pink, as she pressed it to Natsuki's apple cheeks. "Tooo Cute!" the foreigner squealed

_***CREAK***_

Alice flinched at the sound; Natsuki clung on Alice's chest to steady herself. The ruby and aquamarine eyes gazed one of the multiple doors, now facing one of them instead of its reflection across the hall. A raven toe of a boot, laid next to the corner of the door. The toe became a tall, handsome with short, onyx hair and topaz and eyes. Soon, an even taller man, his long, ultramarine hair laying on his back and his sapphire eyes and one other man with short, sterling hair and a patch over his left eye while his right eye matched his hair. Alice sighed as her friends, three Roleholders who inhabited the Clover Tower, Julius Monrey, Nightmare Gottschalk, and Gray Ringmarc.

"Alice what took you so long? If we knew you would take so long, one of us would have accompanied you." Gray stated, his face painted with concern.

"Sorry, I made you guys worry," the maiden apologized. "I just got a little… distracted."

"I wasn't worried; however Graywas fussing like a mother hen." The incubus chuckled.

The Lizard's face became scarlet "At least I showed some concern for Alice. Julius didn't even notice she had left."

The Clockmaster's cerulean eyes became tense. "Alice is young woman, fully capable of taking care of herself. She has stayed in the other territories for a night of two. There's no need to fuss about her every time she leaves the tower."

The two men were both were caught in deadly stares when Nightmare broke their concentration, "Now, you two love birds can have your quarrel some other time. We have company." The pale man nodded towards the child in Alice's arms. The two men turned to say something when they realized the pair of cardinal eyes staring at them.

"Who are you?" Julius questioned the girl, his cold duke blue eyes staring at the child with a puzzled look on his face.

"My name is Natsuki Wh…" The girl started, but corrected herself. "Just Natsuki, it's nice to meet you."

"Where are you from, little one?" Gray inquired a warm smile on his face.

"She got separated form her folks and lost. Is it okay if she stays for a little while?" Alice asked, her head tilted and her coral lips pouted, hoping could charm the men to accept her request.

It did the trick. "As long as she doesn't interfere with my work, can stay." Julius decreed, hoping no one would notice the light blush on his cheeks.

"Well, that settles that. Now we just need to get her something to eat. I happen to working on a recipe for some nice stew." Gray informed, taking the bag from Alice's arm.

Unexpectedly, the carmine flush on Julius' face became the same shade of sapphire as his hair. Nightmare sickly, pale skin quickly became paler. Even Alice's appetite diminished at the thought of Gray's home cooked meals.

"_**OW!" **_moaned the small hare, her face held an expression of ache. Her hand clenched to Alice's chest tighter.

"What's wrong?" Alice probed. Her eyes now filled with worry.

"My stomach hurts… I want to lie down." the little girl sighed. Without a second thought, Alice rushed to her room.

"I believe I have some clocks to fix." said the Clockmaster.

"I think it's about time I made a few rounds in Dreamland." said the incubus.

Both men ran off, not looking back nor stopping until they were safe behind locked doors.

The raven-haired man placed the groceries on the counter. "A simple no would suffice." He went to his office to finish some incomplete work.

* * *

Alice had taken Natsuki to her room, the small child laying on the bed. Whatever illness had taken her before had vanished in a blink of an eye.

"So you were faking it." Alice smirked at the little rabbit.

She shrugged, "Well, did you really want to eat Gray-onii-san's cooking?"

"Hmm, good point, thank you for saving my life." Alice chuckled, and began to rub the small space of ivory hair in between her furry ears.

"Alice-onee-chan, you are really nice letting me stay here." Natsuki grinned.

"its okay, no need to worry**. **I like you, so don't worry I'll stay with you until you get back to your own time." Alice comforted the girl.

A coral blush splashed on Natsuki's cheeks. "Hey, Alice, can you lean in a little closer?"

Alice obeyed to the rabbit's request, unsure what the child wanted. Natsuki's lips touched her cheek.

"Goodnight Alice!" whispered Natsuki; a small yawn escaped her lips, laying her head on the foreigner's lap. Her eyes closed and fell asleep.

Alice put hand on the girl's lips had been and smiled to herself. "Well, she is her father's daughter alright." The room became suddenly black as the window, showed no light from outside. She gently lifted the child's head of her lap, placing her gently on the crème sheets. Alice pulled her sky colored dress over her head, took off her striped socks, and laced shoes. Her turquoise bow on her head was place on her dresser. She pulled a beige camisole overhead. She soon was under the bed sheets with Natsuki. She pulled her closer to her. "Goodnight Natsuki." Alice whispered and she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Wha…Where am I?" Alice screamed her eyes widened at the scene. For Dreamland had changed not and not for the better. The clover and lavender clouds had dulled to an ash color. The shifting sand had become camel brown grass, crackling underneath Alice's feet. "Nightmare? What going on? Where are you?" She called, but the young man who usually invaded her dreams was nowhere in sight. She decided to walk, the sound of the snapping blades causing her jump at every step.

_***PLIP* *PLOP***_

Alice's head turned to a small puddle with lay a few feet beside her. There was a puff of cadet gray lingering above it, leaking small drops of water. It remained stationary, unlike its slimmer cousins who drifted across the plain. Alice took a step closer; her ears picked a sniffle, just like Natsuki's…

"Hello?" The maiden called, hoping to receive an answer.

"Who's there, who are you?" a high pitched voice replied, defiantly not belonging to the grown man.

"My name is Alice Liddell, don't worry I won't hurt you. Come on, come out." Alice coaxed. "I wonder if…"Alice pondered.

A figure rose from behind the cloud then settled down on top. It was little girl, her sterling hair and matching eyes. Her blanched skin contrasted with her ebony jacket, protecting her milk colored shirt, with its golden swirly design on the long sleeves, the charcoal skirt's had the same design, right above the fringe. A small lavender bow tied a small curl of hair away from her noggin. She sat crossed legged, her long, orchid socks reaching up to her knees. Two small sooty buckled shoes lay on her feet.

"My name is Yumeko Gottschalk. "the girl stated a slight whimper in her voice.

"Gottschalk? As in Nightmare Gottschalk?" Alice inquired,

"How do you know Otou-sama?" the new face tilted to the side with a perplexed look.

"Oh, great another one." Alice mind groaned. "I don't believe it! First Peter, now Nightmare? Who's next?" As her mind contemplated, the little girl sniffled some more, a few drops escaping from her rain cloud eyes.

"Now, now. It's okay tell what happened." Alice comforted, taking a few steps. She was soon eye level with the child and began to stroke her hair.

"I w….was floating with Otou-sama, he had been teaching me, I was getting really good, but this hole came up out of nowhere! I held Otou-sama's even tighter but I couldn't hold on…Now I'm all alone." Yumeko shed some more tears.

"Don't worry, I'm here. I'll take care of you." Alice played with some loose strands of hair on the kid's head. "So, don't cry anymore, okay?"

Yumeko smiled, rubbing her eyes. "Okay, Yume-chan won't cry anymore."

Suddenly, the gray clouds blew out of view, as a bright light came overhead. Alice knew this process; it was the end of the dream. Her teal eyes turn slowly to the child. "Yumeko!" she cried.

"Don't worry Alice-nee-san. I'll see you soon!" The child waved a grin on her face.

Before Alice could ask, the bright light flashed and blinded her sight. The little girl vanished along with the plain.

* * *

The sun from the window shot at Alice's aquamarine eyes, causing them to shoot wide open. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. Her mind, a boggle with last night's events. She felt something snag her camisole; she saw a lump in the satin sheets. She pulled them down to reveal the same small child she met in the forest, was sleeping her bed. "So Natsuki wasn't a dream, but I wonder…" When she turned, she found another lump in her bed. She pulled the sheets down and fount the girl she met in her dreams.

"Yumeko!" Alice cried with relief, worry that crashed on her had washed away.

The storm haired child sleepily open her eyes. "Good morning Alice-nee-san. I'm sorry I got into your bed, I was really tired so…"

"Its okay, I'm just glad you are alright."

_***YAWN***_

The small hare on Alice's other side began to stir, some lose hairs stood out and her ears were flat against her head. She rubbed her apple red eyes "Alice-onee-chan? Who are you talking to?" she yawned. Her eyes met Yumeko's and her ears shot up.

"Yume-chan!" the rabbit squealed lunging at the girl on the opposite side of bed. Alice, having dealt with Natsuki's father, dodged the girl's clutch. Yumeko, however, wasn't lucky and became suffocated by Natsuki's embrace. "Suki-chan missed you so much!"

"Natsuki-chan? I missed you too, but please don't squeeze me." she wheezed. Soon, she began coughing nonstop.

"Sorry!" Natsuki screamed her ears flopped. She rubbed little circles on Yumeko's back, her coughs getting less violent.

Alice chuckled at the scene. "Well, at least their both okay." She gazed out the window; a bright blue sky hung above the frost-covered forest below. "I wonder if I'll meet more girls like them today… girls with Roleholders for dads sure are strange… but really cute."

* * *

Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it! I'm sorry I took so long *bow* *bow* One translation note: when the girls are refering to themselves as Natsuki-chan, Suki-chan, and Yume-chan, they refering to themselves in the third person, which is sometimes considered childish in japan.

Also about the girls name meanings here they are:

Natsuki- Moon- deals with an asian legend about a rabbit and the moon

Yumeko- Dream Child- Since he is an incubus and his name is Nightmare.

More Girls and Laughs are on the way! Reviews are loved! Bye!


	4. Chapter 4 Two Memories

Hello out there! I hope this series gets better and more popular. I'll do my best to make this a story you guys will love! But school is a form of hell… I hope I'll survive this year….. I'll see you after the story.

I love all the names you gave me. Although I like some names that are physically related to them, since these girls look just like their fathers, names that show hair or eye color.(Ex. Murasaki means purple which might be a name from Elliot's daughter sine he has purple eyes. Lame idea I know but I think it is cute.)

Also, just in case, you guys didn't know nii-chan means big brother and nee-chan means big sister. The girls will have a different way to address Alice, the Roleholders, and their parents.

I'm going to write a little differently, so tell me, if you guys don't like it.

I don't own anything! I'll keep saying it! I don't why though! Everyone says it so I guess have to say it!

* * *

Chapter 4 Two Memories. One from the Past and The other of the Future.

Alice was pulling the dress over her head; as she listened to the small girls discuss their problem.

"So that's it Yume-chan. We stuck in the past and we can't get back home." Natsuki finished. "And since we are in the past, we can't let anyone know who we really are."

"Is that so? Hm-mm…" Yumeko pondered, "So what do I call Otou-sama?"

"How about Nightmare-niisan?" Alice suggested, pulling up one blue stripped sock to her knees "Or Nightmare-nii-chan." she finished pulling up the other stocking. "Or simply Nii-san." continued Alice, putting one shoe on her tiny foot. "Or Nii-chan." The other foot slid into the shoe. Alice began tying up a ribbon to her back to keep her apron in place.

"Nightmare-nii-san… ugh. It feels a little weird." Yumeko shuddered after hearing her own voice. "I wonder what he's like now…"

"Yeah, I wonder what Papa… I mean Peter-onii-chan is like. Everyone else too." pondered Natsuki, an ear slightly bent in confusion.

"Is everyone a little weird, slightly idiotic, likes to shoot guns, and just plain crazy?" The damsel's teal eyes peered at the two youths sitting on her bed.

"Yep!" cheered the small bunny.

"That's sounds about right," agreed the small incubus.

"Then they haven't changed a bit." grinned Alice.

The two girls bursted into a fit of giggles, unstoppable until Alice's voice broke the laughter. "So who wants to go shopping with me?"

The two girls stopped their chuckling, "Going shopping?" popped out of both their mouths.

"Yep, since you both are going to be staying here for a while, I thought that maybe I could get you something you liked to make your stay more comfortable. I know two are far away from home, but its okay I take care of you till you go back okay?" Alice smiled.

"Let's go!" cheered Natsuki she hopped out the bed. Clasping Alice's hand and bouncing up and down.

Yumeko followed climbing off the bed slowly. "Hey! Take me along too!" she cried and took Alice's other hand.

"Well, since you both seem to be ready, let's go!" chimed Alice and the trio soon began the long walk down the stretch of hallway. They had taken more of a few steps, when a loud scream echoed down the hall.

"Alice save me!" bellowed the incubus, his footsteps' echoes' getting stronger and stronger. Suddenly, his sickly form was behind the maiden.

"Trying to avoid work again?" Alice leered at the sickly man. He nodded feverishly. "Uh-huh…" she turned her head down the hall, placed her hand near her mouth, in attempts to be heard down the hall. " Gray! He's right here!" she called.

"Alice!" gasped Nightmare. "Couldn't you show a little merc…"his voice trailed off when his one smoky eye met Yumeko's two smoky eyes. Who are you?" he asked.

"I…I'm Yumeko. It's nice to meet you Ot...I mean Nightmare-nii-san." the child piped, her irises never leaving his only one. _"So this is Otou-sama in the past. He sure does look paler…" _were the words that came to the child's mind. _"Sure is a cute kid, I wondered where she's from." _Nightmare pondered. She continued to stare and he stared back. Only until a new voice chorused in was when they broke contact.

"Nightmare-sama!" cried the loyal assistant, his arms full of paperwork. Nightmare pale face suddenly turned beryl in an instant. He ducked behind Alice's legs once more. Natsuki strolled closer to the assistant, while Yumeko crouched lower, to get closer to the incubus.

"Hiya Gray-onii-chan!" Natsuki greeted. Gray stopped and grinned at the child.

"Hello there Natsuki. Are you feeling better?" questioned the lizard-man, recalling last night's meeting.

"Oh…Yeah! Suki-chan got some rest and is better now!" replied the rabbit, hoping to keep last night's façade real.

"That's good." Gray sighed. He peered over to Alice, a slight smirk on his face. She pointed down to her legs, and behind the banded socks, the crouched figure of the unhealthy man laid "Nightmare-sama, it's time to get to work."

"No!" cried the diseased man. "I'm going to spend the day with Alice and Yumeko!"

"Yumeko?" asked Gray, his golden eyes glancing to the side. He spotted the little girl, squatted near Nightmare. "Hello there little one, who are you?"

"I'm Yumeko. It's nice to meet you!" the little girl said merrily, _"Gray-nii-san hasn't change a bit!"_ she thought to herself, relief washed .

"Where did you come from?" Gray inquired,_ "C…Cute!" _came to his mind.

"Well, I kinda got separated from my Otou-sama on an outing. I don't know how to get home, so is it alright if I can stay here with Alice-nee-san and Natsuki-chan?" asked the small girl, her peppery eyes widening and getting glassy. Her lips pouting. A flush of scarlet splashed across Gray has flustered face.

"Yeah! Gray-onii-chan! Please let Yume-chan stay here!" pleaded Natsuki, her ruby eyes had little tears hanging on their edges. Her lips were also perched. The two girls tilted their heads to touch; each girl had their hands clenched together, as if praying, hoping to appeal to the older man. Their plan, of course, was working.

"Please?" the two girls said simultaneously.

"_Too Cute!" _rang through the man's mind.

"Of course, she can stay. The more the merrier, although I'm not sure Julius would agree. Now, if you excuse us." Nightmare pardoned himself and his lazy boss. He walked over to the crouching man and grabbed his collar. The sickly man fussed in protest, but to no avail.

"H…Hey! Let me go! Let me go!" The captive bellowed, but his cries were not heard Suddenly the colorless face of the incubus, turned back to navy. His mouth opened once again, but instead of words, bombs of blood dropped on the floor.

Gray huffed, Alice sighed, Natsuki winced, they all had seen this scene before, a little concerned, but they knew it was mostly his fault for these fits. Yumeko's heart wrenched. She was used to this event as well, but it pained her to see her father this way. She tucked her hand inside a pocket in her shirt, pulled out a plum colored handkerchief, and offered it to Nightmare. "Here, used this" offered the girl.

The man stared at it, his face splashed in confusion. He never had someone offer comfort, some kind words from his subordinate maybe, but this type of kindness was different. "I'm fine, this happens to me a lot, don't worry." he replied, a nervous chuckle followed his words. _"Weird kid, worrying about a stranger like me. She's…" _his mind trailed off and his eyes glanced at the child and then she looked at Alice. _"She's kind of like Alice…"_

_

* * *

_

"_Hey, Nightmare! Get up!" Alice screamed as she tugged at the sheets, trying to get at the man crouching in the sheets. _

"_Alice it's too cold! I don't want to!" whined Nightmare gripping tighter on the blankets._

"_Come on, get up! You've got work, don't make me get Gray!" Alice's voiced growled, her temper continuing rise as the man in the covers burrowed deeper and deeper, into the warmth of the blankets. _

"_Man… I guess it can't be helped," growled the maiden. Nightmare listened, waiting for Alice to start pulling at the sheets again. Yet nothing happened, instead footsteps patted across the floor the door creaked and then closed._

"_Alice…?" whispered the sickly man._

_The response was silence._

_He peered out from underneath the comforter as if he hiding in a cave. _

"_Alice?" he called again. "I should have read her mind before she left," the incubus mentally scolded himself "No matter she probably going to get Gray."_

_***SQEAUK* **_

_His head dove back underneath the covers. "__**Great**__, she brought reinforcements."_

"_Hey, Nightmare, come on out please." coaxed the foreigner. "I have something for you."_

_Curiosity caused his eye to escape his self-made den, to find the girl at eye level smiling. _

"_Here." Alice whispered, she placed a sky blue mug on the sheets, careful not spill its contents. The was some steam floating out from the mud colored liquid inside._

_Nightmare's pale fingers cupped themselves around the smooth glass. He lifted up to his lips and opened them, allowing the drink to enter his mouth and throat._

"_It's hot chocolate." he said, remembering the taste that Gray had often offered._

"_That should warm you up. Just drink that up and then you'll get to work, okay?" Alice said a cheerful smile on her face._

"_Okay." he agreed, and took another small sip letting his body, and heart, be filled with warmth that Alice had given him._

_

* * *

_

"Are you okay, boss?" Gray asked.

"Oh, yeah, don't worry about me." Nightmare replied, he snapped back to the present, began wiping a streak of blood from his lips with his own magenta bandana.

"Oh, good. Well in that case…" Soon enough, Gray's hand was on the incubus's collar and they both continued to go down the hallway.

Yumeko beamed from ear to ear, and continued to stroll behind the men, leaving Alice and Natsuki in the hallway discussing where to go first. Yumeko stride down the way, her mind contemplating her situation.

For one thing, she couldn't remember her mother. She wasn't completely gone from her child's memory; just some things were gone. Her hair color and length, her eyes those features had vanished. Yumeko now could only remember a shadow wearing clothes, although her kind personality remained intact. Yet, on the other hand seeing her father and Gray acting just like this was a clear memory in the little girl's mind.

* * *

_She remembered sitting in an old room, the rays of the sun sinking into the hills far away, created a soft glow in the room. There she was, on a carpet of speckled newspaper, jars full of paint sitting to her right side. A chestnut handled paintbrush clenched in her hand. The stained hairs danced across a piece of paper in front of her, leaving a grass colored trail behind them. Yumeko laid the brushed by the paints and held the picture up, holding it in both hands. _

"_I'm done! Oka-sama look at it!" she cried with happiness. She turned to a dark feminine figure with its hair in a messy bun, hairs hanged here and there. A white apron splattered with paint wrapped its fame. The woman's dark hand grabbed the paper, and its mouth, the feature besides her nose was one of the only physical features Yumeko could recall, stretched from cheek to cheek. _

"_It's a lovely butterfly, Yumeko." a gentle voice escaped the woman's lips. "It's very pretty."_

"_Your sunset is prettier! Yume-chan loves it!" the child said enthusiastically staring at the composition, sitting on the easel, the evening colors matching the sky outside the window._

_***SLAM***_

_Both the women turned to see the incubus, panting then slowly fell to the ground and sighed, "I finally lost him…" He sighed again in relief. _

"_Otou-sama! Look at my pretty picture." Yumeko requested as the paper passed from the woman's hands to Nightmare's._

"_Yep, you're right, it's a pretty picture." he reviewed, his eye staring at the picture then it glanced at the child. "And you're a pretty messy girl." he chuckled. _

_The girl's head tilted. "What do you mean?" _

_The woman pulled a small compact from her apron pocket, opened it with a click and faced to the child. Sure enough, Yumeko's face covered in violet and spinach spots. There even a drop of lavender on her ash-grey bangs._

"_Whoops!" Yumeko chuckled, she put her fist up to her forehead and stuck her tongue slightly out._

"_Now, really what are we gonna do with you?" sighed her father as he pulled out his lilac handkerchief, squatted down and began to rubbed it against her plump cheeks. The little girl continued to giggle, and her mother smiled at the sight._

_***SLAM***_

_Suddenly a figure stood in the doorway, his topaz eyes bore holes into s back. "__**Nightmare-sama**__…" he growled. _

_Nightmare chuckled nervously, then with out warning he dashed out off the room, unfortunately he wasn't fast enough to escape his subordinate's grasp. Gray clenched his boss' sleeve, but Nightmare continued to run, hoping to slip out his grasp, but there was nothing he could do. The lizard-man began to lug his employer to his office._

"_Hey, I order you let me go!" demanded the captive man, trying to wrench his arm from his assistant's grasp, but Gray was determined to get the work done, __**one way or another…**_

_The two females watched the men get farther and father away. "Now, what are we going to do with __**him**__?" asked the adult__** .**_

"_Don't look at me. You married him." reminded the child, looking up to her dark face. _

_Her mother smiled and began to stride over to her husband, Yumeko raced after her to keep up. The woman finally caught up to the quarellling men, who stopped due her prensece. "Good Luck, Hun." she sighed and laid a light kiss on Nightmare's cheek. Nightmare also felt a tug on his pant's leg and look into the child's stone-colored eyes. He bent down to her eye level._

"_Good bye, Otou-sama, see you soon!" Yumeko cheered, and then she laid a kiss on her father's other cheek. _

_Nightmare beamed, but then his smile became a grimace when Gray's hand left his boss' arm, only to grab his neck. He and his fussing hostage continued down the hall, while the girls walked back to their room, to start a new picture._

_

* * *

_

"_**LET ME GO!" **_

These words, woke the child out of her reminse. She suddenly remembered, where and more importantly, _**when **_she was. The incubus, still hollering, was being towed by the lizard-man. She rushed in front of Gray holding her hand out like a stop sign. Gray stopped in his tracks and his honey eyes followed her to his back, standing face to face to his prisoner.

"What is it Yumeko?" asked Nightmare, his mind pondering why the girl had halted his associate.

"Good Luck!" she smiled and gave the man, a quick kiss in his cheek. An apple stripe, was now apparent on the pale man's face.

Alice glanced back to check back on Yumeko, and she saw the scene. Yumeko with her lips pressed against Nightmare's cheek, which was turning a shade of crimson along with Gray's face. Alice smiled "Yumeko, we're going to leave you behind." she called and motioned with her hand.

"Okay! I'm coming!" Yumeko yelled back and began to sprang towards the two girls waiting on the end of the hall.

"Hurry up, Yume-chan! The stores will be closed, by the time we get there!" complained Natsuki.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Yumeko apologized, and then took Alice's right hand and began to walk away. She turn around to face the men, and then waved with her free hand. "Bye Nightmare-niisan, Gray-niisan!" the girl shouted to them, and soon she was stepping down the stairs, out of sight.

" _Definitely, a cute girl. Maybe, a little weird, a nice girl." _Nightmare thought to himself, then he felt an overpowering force pull on his neck. Gray had once again started to the office and Nightmare's fit began to start again. "Let me go! Let me go!" he bellowed, his voice echoed across the hall.

"Hey, Alice?" Yumeko started, her face turned to the older girl. Her mind replayed the scene in the hall she had witnessed a few minutes ago.

"What is it, Yumeko?" Alice asked, as the three made their way down the stairs, Natsuki racing down while Yumeko clung to Alice's hand, trying to keep up.

"You were right! They haven't changed a bit!" Yumeko grinned and Alice sighed.

"_Looks like no matter how much time changes, __**some**__ things still stay the same." _Alice thought.

"Hurry up you two, you're acting like turtles!" Natsuki cried.

"Remember the turtle beat the rabbit!" called Alice. "Let's go!" she encouraged Yumeko.

"Okay!" Yumeko cried and Alice felt herself get dragged by the small girl, who soon let go in order to gain speed.

"Whoa! Slow down!" Alice laughed as they all headed out the door, racing after each other, not stopping until stores and buildings surrounding them.

As Alice slowed down her pace, she couldn't help but feel as if something was going to happen.

"I wonder if I'll… meet someone else's kid…" her mind pondered and she turned to the little girls who were giggling. "Come on, let's go shopping you two slugs." Alice called.

"Hey! Who are you calling a slug?" Yumeko questioned.

"Well then prove me wrong!" the foreigner yelled over her shoulder and she dashed off, the two girls trailing after her.

"_You know, I think I'm gonna like these girls." she dwelled. "And maybe it would be nice if I met __**all**__ of the guys' kids." _She grinned and continued to dash down the street.

Smiling the whole way…

* * *

Hi everyone it's me! I hope you like this chapter. I was going to add another girl but it took up too much space as it was and i thought it would be a little confusing so i just turned it into a moe

(Japanese saying kinda means heart warming) chapter. I promise the next girl will really cute and sweet so just give me some till i come up with the next chapter!

If the part about Yumeko's mom is confusing, i'm sorry *bow* *bow* if can imagine a person with no face, kinda black like a shadow, wearing fully clothes i guess that would be closest way to explain what the look like.(well not really i just dont want any spoilers for this sort of prequel/sequel)

Reviews are loved, suggestions are loved, names are loved, fans are loved even more! See ya!


	5. Chapter 5 A Warm Hug with Love!

Hey everyone, sorry for the wait! I hope you guys are ready for the next chapter.

I really like the fact that people like the moe scene in the last chapter. I didn't expect have those until after all the girls were introduced. But it just kinda happened, but at least everyone likes it. I hope you'll like this next chapter and the new girl!

Also I'd like to point out that, all the girls' mothers are going be sort of shadows, like Yumeko's mother was. I'm planning to keep them anonymous until the story in where i introduce them. Though some of thier talents and little bits of their personalities are probably going to spoil it... Oh well! As long you guys like the story!

See you later! Remember I don't own anything, only the girls and the idea. Everyone and everything else belongs to the mighty Quinrose gods! BOW AND PAY TRIBUTE TO THEM. *bow* *bow* *bow*

* * *

Chapter 5 The Jewel in the Clover Marketplace! A Warm Hug with Love!

"Hey! Come on Alice-onee-chan, Yume-chan, and hurry up!" The small rabbit yelled, as she continued down the street, running off to who knows where.

The foreigner trudged behind, carrying a couple bags, differing in size and shape, "Wait up, Natsuki! Can't we rest for a while?" begged Alice, her arms about to give way.

"Okay, thank you for the clothes, Alice-onee-chan. Their really cute!" she twirled around, showing off her new winter clothes. She was now wearing a outfit that fitted the season she was in, wearing a cherry blossom pink jacket, with two ivory puff balls near the neck, that reached down to her knees On her legs, was a matching pair of pink pants, her feet resting in small coral pink boots with puffs related to the ones on her neck. She wore light pink mittens on her hands.

Behind her, the other child was gasping for air and had a coughing fit that could rival one of her father's fits. Alice rapidly turned her head to check on the girl. She was sill standing, her lilac handkerchief rubbing against her lips. The lavender cloth remained the same light shade of violet, free of any dark hues. Alice sighed in relief, _"No blood, thank God." _she sighed to herself.

"Sorry. I tend to sick easily and this cold air does not help. Don't worry about it." The small child comforted the older female.

Alice walked over to the sickly girl and, with the little space she had in her arms, picked her up. She carried her over to a frost-covered bench. Alice set her bags aside, dusted off some ice with her now free hand, and parked herself on the seat. She began to rub circles on the young girl's back, hoping to silence the hacking.

"Thank you Alice-nee-san." Yumeko whispered, almost as if she was about to fall asleep.

Alice smiled, and called "Natsuki! Let's stop somewhere for some hot chocolate. I know a nice place that makes good cup. Want to go get some?" Alice suggested, taking one of the large bags in her grasp.

"Yeah, okay." the albino child called back, her focus directed at the ominous clouds that hung overhead.

She swung her head to face Yumeko, who seemed to be at peace. "Are you gonna be okay?" she asked.

"Don't worry, Yume-chan's a big girl." the child her arms, slid out of the foreigner's embrace, and picked up one of the smaller bags as well. "Now let's get something to drink, I'm cold." she smiled, sending a surge of relief to the maiden.

The young incubus took the maiden's hand and they started to walk away from the little rabbit, who was preoccupied with the snow that was falling on her own snow locks and ears. She twirled around but the spinning until she saw her friends strolling away. "Hey, Yume-chan, Alice-onee-chan don't leave me!" she cried with a hint of desperation in her voice, she clasped the foreigner's hand. "Suki-chan wants to go too! Don't leave me!"

"I'm sorry, Natsuki, don't worry." Alice said in her soothing voice, "I won't leave _either _of you. I promise."

"You really mean it?" The rabbit on her right questioned.

"You really promise?" The incubus on her left asked.

"Yep, cross my heart and hope to die." she swore, taking her right hand back from the child's, to make the motion. "Well, maybe not the last part." she added, thinking about the Roleholders and their…um…_promptness_ to kill.

"Alice-onee-chan, I love you!" Natsuki squealed with joy, clenching Alice's right hand again, a wide smile on her face.

"I love you too, Alice-nee-san!" Yumeko shrieked with glee, clenching her left hand tighter.

Alice beamed widely, "Now, let's get going," she cheered. _"Yep, I knew it, these girls are cute." _she thought. "_I can definitely get used to having this girl around."_

* * *

"Alice-nee-san! Look at this, I made a butterfly." Yumeko grinned, as she held up her mug to show a cocoa colored doodle on a milky white, fluffy surface.

"Oh, yeah, it's really cute." Alice replied, not really paying attention to the girls in front of her, both busy with their drinks. The café had set out small bottles of chocolate syrup on their round, oak tables for their customers to flavor their drinks or top their sweets. The girls had settled down to drawing pictures on the foamy surface of their hot cocoa.

As the girls were consuming their drinks, something had consumed Alice's attention.

There was a store with a wide glass window, across the street of the little restaurant, showing off its prized merchandise. Overlarge, accurate looking to their originals, stuffed lions, tigers, and bears sat on the edges of the glass plane, while there were petite, colorful kittens, puppies, and rabbits, stacked in the middle of the display.

While the display was cute, her focus was under the window. There was a petite girl standing below the oriel, she appeared to holding on to something in one of her hand. She seemed restless, moving around constantly, putting her free hand flat over on her brow. She kept turning her head, her eyes staring at the school of people, which flowed in front of her. The child's hand dropped and shoulders, and so went back to leaning against the brick wall.

Alice was too far away to tell anything about the girl, the only feature she could tell from the distance was her dark hair. _"Is she waiting for someone?" _she pondered. _"I wonder how long she's been out there…"_

"Hey, do you two know that girl?" the question had strolled out Alice's mouth. Her eyes were still on the small girl.

"Who are you talking about?" Natsuki replied, she looking up from her drink, she followed Alice's gaze to the same direction to see mysterious ebony hair girl. "I can't tell, she's too far away, but she does look familiar. Yume-chan do you recognize her?"

The other, paler, girl, was busy downing her warm beverage. She dragged her lips from her drink and looked over to the window. "She does look familiar, but I can't tell who she is." she stated and went back to her drink.

Alice's eyes continued to gaze at the girl. The raven black haired child was, now, sitting on the iron colored brick street. Whatever she was holding, she was now embracing it tightly. The sight had made Alice feel pity towards the small girl. She stood up from the table, "Hey, can you two take care of yourselves. I'm going to check out that girl," she said, her voice full concern.

"Don't worry, Suki-chan is a big girl she can take of herself," Natsuki boasted, she raised her small fist to her chest.

"I'll be fine, don't worry, Yume-chan is big girl too." the small incubus said, her voice full of reassurance.

"Okay you two, I'll be back, possibly back with a friend. Bye." Alice said, and she left the two girls behind, the tinkling bell on the doorway rang as the door shut behind her.

* * *

The steps that brought the maiden to the onyx haired child, made the small girl cuter and more lonely, which only made Alice more determined to comfort the girl. She stopped when she was only a step or two away. She took in the scene, the girl starring the lead role. Meanwhile, the two girls back at the café had their faces pressed against the glass, watching the play.

The girl was slightly taller than Natsuki and Yumeko, but only by about half an inch. Her shadow hair was styled in two pigtails, tied by argent white ribbons, which touched the shoulders of her atrous black coat. A path of snow white buttons ran up the front of the coat, ending at the silver fur collar. She wore a pair of ebony pants that ended in black boots tied with charcoal laces. The object in her arms was an amber colored teddy bear with coal black eyes and nose. A grin sewn on its snout, a happy expression but it didn't seem to help the young girl a bit. On her hands, she wore beige mittens that were covering her eyes, their delicate knitted design slowly turning ash colored.

"_Is she….crying?" _Alice's mind gasped. _"She seems __**so**__ upset…who would do this to a little girl?" _Her chest tighten with emotion, she took one-step to the little girl. She crouched down, her face level with the child. She whispered softly, her voice was like a mother's, kind, warm, and gentle, "Hey, what's the matter? Why are you crying?"

The little girl looked up from her gloves, her face now in clear view. Her eyes were the color of honey, a rich, warm shade of yellow. A few tears rained down, disappearing on contact with the already wet ground. Alice took a breath, and then smiled, hoping to stop the child's weeping. "Hey, come on, I don't bite, you can trust me. My name's Alice Liddell, what's yours."

"T…Tama. Tama Ringmarc." the small child whispered.

"_Ringmarc? Oh, she's Gray's daughter. She's definitely cute," _she thought. Suddenly, she felt something tug at her sky blue dress. A petite, wet mitten had a hold on the azure fabric, the child's cheeks red from a mixture of sadness and cold, had some tears waiting to bomb the ground. Alice took one hand and wiped the drops away. "Now, don't worry," Alice whispered "I think I know a few of your friends, come on, I think there waiting for us. Okay?"

The little girl only nodded, her other hand grabbed the marine material, and they crossed the street back to the café.

* * *

As soon as the bell jingled, the two girls dashed to the door to greet the foreigner and the new girl. They stopped in their tracks, when they spotted them, their faces were a mix of shock and joy when their eyes met the clinging child.

"Tama-chan?" the two questioned simultaneously.

"Natsuki-chan? Yumeko-chan?" the third girl asked.

"Tama-chan! It's really you!" squealed Natsuki and clumped onto the ebony haired girl.

"We missed you so much!" cried Yumeko and she hugged the other side the child.

"Where have you two been? Everyone's been looking for you guys!" Tama screamed, but she put her arms around the two smaller girls nonetheless.

"Well… that's gonna be a little difficult…" Natsuki let go of her friend to let her pointer fingers get press together.

"Why?" Tama asked. "We are in Clover Tower territory, right?"

"Well…yes and no…" Yumeko's voice trailed off.

"Huh?" a sound gasped out of the charcoal's mouth.

Alice smiled and shook her head. "Come on," she said, "Let's sit down. We have a lot of explaining to do."

* * *

"So that's it." Tama sighed, after the long explanation. Her spoon was idly spinning in her mug, "I guess that's how come no one came after me."

"What? Alice asked.

"Well, it all started just a little while ago. Daddy, Mommy, Onii-sama, Onee-sama, my whole family were going to the toy store. We all were going to race there. At first I was behind, so I thought I'd use a short cut, so I went down a small alley, at first it was kinda dark, but all of a sudden it got really bright. Then it was all normal, but when I got out it, everything had changed. I got to the store, I waited and waited but no one came after Tama-chan. Tama-chan is all alone…" she sniffled, tears fell once again began to fall, her cloud colored gloves were once again full of rain.

"Don't worry, you're not alone. I'm here, and so is Yumeko and Natsuki. I'll take good care of you, okay," Alice comforted, her hand was now on the jet-black locks, shifting them gently around.

"Yeah, Alice is really nice person," Natsuki cried, waving her spoon in the air like a baton.

"That's right; she's taken really good care of us already." Natsuki agreed.

The little girl looked up from her hands and stared up at the foreigner. A gentle smile was on the maiden's face, reassuring her. "I hope you and me can be good friends, Tama." Alice said.

"Yeah, I bet we can be great friends, Alice-nee-sama!" and for the first time since, Alice had met her, she smiled, a smile that made her completely adorable. "Oh, just a minute," she stopped, and she pulled the bear, that was sitting in the ground for its own safety. "This is Roary-chan. Can he your friend too?"

"Of course, any friend of Tama's friend is a friend of mine." Alice giggled, her hand now rubbing the bears fuzzy, caramel head.

"My name is Roary-chan! Nice to meet you, Alice-onee-sama." a squeaky voice came out of the child's mouth, she hid behind the bear, making its paws come together, and its head bow.

Before anyone could blink, Tama felt a warm embrace to find Alice's slender arms around her.

"You are just too cute!" Alice squealed. She snuggled the child even closer to her body, the girl began to beam, as the soft beating of Alice's heart traveled to her ears. She could easily remember times like this with her own parents.

* * *

_She was lying on the sterling rug, her eyes watered, the pain in her knee stung as the red river continued to flow. She was clinging on the brown toy, wishing for the sting to go away. She began to wobble, she was almost upright, when the pain jabbed her, causing her to collapse. Her furry friend took an unexpected flight, flew out of her arms, and now laid face down a few feet from her body. Tears had now poured from her eyes. She placed her hands over her irises to hide the rain._

"_Tama-chan!" her head turned to see the lizard man and a feminine shadow bend down to their daughter._

"_Tama-chan? What's wrong?" Her mother asked when he looked down the tiny knees, a waterfall of crimson flowing from a slash and the rivers painted on her flustered cheeks._

_While the man stepped past the two to retrieve the bear, his wife crouched down to meet Tama's topaz eyes, her own eyes erased off her face, only leaving a dark blank. _

"_Now, now Tama-chan. Its okay, you don't have to cry anymore. We're right here." the woman's soft voice, settling the small girl's heart._

"_That's right." Gray's baritone voiced called. His hand, an open palm, held the toy with his thumb on its belly. "When you have people who love you, you can always feel happy. Mommy knows that better then anyone." _

"_Hey! You've had your share of bad times too." the shadow said, a teasing tone laced her words. _

_Tama took this moment to wrap her fingers around the bear's paw. After her arms wrapped the bear, her father took a bandage out of hiding and stuck to the scar on the knee. Suddenly, her parents' arms had engulfed her. Her father pressing his lips on her forehead._

_She loved times with her parents, times with her siblings, times with everyone. However, the best times had to be when she hear her mother's heart beating and her father's heart ticking. She felt safe and warm, nestled between the two._

* * *

She found herself in Alice's arms. She turned her head around, to find that all of the other women smiling. One of Tama's arms left Roary-chan, to wrap itself around Alice. "Alice-onee-sama, promise me you'll take care of Tama-chan and my friends?"

"I already promised your friends I won't leave them and you are no exception," Alice assured. "I'll take good care of you and Roary-chan." She smiled.

Tama's grip got tighter as she cried, "Thank you, Alice-onee-sama, I love you!" Alice looked down to see a wide, childish grin on her face.

"Hey Alice-onee-chan! That's no fair! Suki-chan wants a hug too!" Natsuki squealed childishly.

"Me too! Me too! Yume-chan wants one too!" cried Yumeko.

"_Okay_, come here." Alice shrugged, lifting one of her arms. Suddenly Alice felt a little squished in the three children's grasp. Her lowered her arm and tighten her clench the girls.

"Alice-onee-chan!"

"Alice-neesan!

"Alice-onee-sama!"

"We love you!" the three girls cheered.

Alice sighed. _"What am I gonna do with these girls?" _she thought, though she wasn't complaining. _"These girls can be a handful, but they are so sweet and cute, I can't but love them."_

"_Alright_, I love you guys too." she smiled; a warm smile was displayed on her face, along with matching rosy cheeks.

Their hug only got closer and tighter.

* * *

Hi, Everyone! How did you like the story? I hope im getting all the characters right, please tell me if i'm making them OOC, ALice may seem so, but in Joker her personality simmers down, so i kinda make a kind yet sarcastic girl.

The new girl is *fanfare da da da dum!* Tama Ringmarc! I want to make as adorable and as sweet as possible, because i can totally see Gray being a doting, kind dad. XD! I also thought "Daddy" would make her cuter.

Her name is a kinda play on her and her father's last name. Her name means Jewel and when i was researching a good name for her, Ringmarc kept sticking to her mind. So i got this, on rings you have jewels so i thought Tama would be good name for Gray's kid. (If you think its lame, i'm sorry but i like her name and i'm gonna keep it.)

Well i'll see you guys later, but first i have to get my homework done, die, and probably by next weekend i may have the next chapter. (Lord give me strength...)

I still need some names, and any scenes you'd like me to do, i'll so my best to put them in.

Just tell me you love the story, the more reviews i get, the more i encouraged and excited to get to the next chapter.

See you!


	6. Chapter 6 Enter the Quiet Heart!

Hi everyone, sorry for the wait! **_*bow* *bow* _**I hope you guys review my story! Oh I'm gonna on the Kitsune story I'm sorry! **_*bow* *bow* *bow*_** I just can't seem to get it going! I promise I'll do better! I hope you guys will like this chapter and the story!

I don't own anything except for the girls. Everything else belongs to the Gods known as Quinrose.

XxX

Chapter 6 Enter the Quiet Heart!

The girls were walking down the path, continuing their thank yous as they stolled along.

"Thank you for the new clothes Alice-onee-chan!" _Once more._

"Thank you for the crayons Alice-nee-san!" _Again and again._

"Thank you for everything Alice-onee-sama!" _For the thousandths time._

"Alright, Alright!" Alice cried, her voice full of laughter, "I get it! I get it!"

The snow layered path crunched beneath their feet. The crisp air made each girl more and more yearning for the warm fireplace, and another cup of hot chocolate .

"Hey, Alice-onee-sama?" the ebony haired child asked. "What's Daddy like now?"

"Umm… well, the Gray I know is a very kind, nice, and hardworking man." the maiden replied, her mind now on the memories she shared with the lizard man.

"Yeah, I don't think Gray-onii-san has changed a bit! This morning he was pulling Otou-sama to work like he always does!" stated the silver haired girl.

"It sounds like Daddy hasn't changed, but I'd better see him for myself. Hey what's Julius-onii-sama like?" the child asked again.

"Julius? Well he's sort of cold and mean, and you can always find him behind his desk." the maiden replied. "But he is really nice once you get to know him."

"Hmm… he sounds like he hasn't _that_ much, but I think he's a little friendlier." she turned her head to her friends. "Right?"

"Yume-chan doesn't know, Yume-chan hasn't met this Julius-onii-san yet." Yumeko replied "Hey Natsuki-chan have you met…" she twisted her neck behind her, but her albino friend was missing. "Natsuki-chan?"

The three girls twisted and turned their heads and bodies trying to find the missing child, when a cry of "There she is!", placed the kid quite a few feet from the rest. She had just stopped moving and remained still, sort of like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car.

"Natsuki?" Alice called out but her voice was ignored. The rabbit remained a like statue, still and unwavering, but soon the rabbit dashed into the frozen forest, the same one she met Alice in only the day before.

"Wait! Natsuki!" Alice cried running after her, the two other children following in pursuit.

XxX

Natsuki was running in a fashion well… like a rabbit. She would stop, turn her head in different directions, her ears would follow and turn from her head, suddenly they would twitch and soon the child would begin her rapid pace once more.

"What's going on? What's wrong with her?" the words kept swirling, like wind, in Alice's mind. The small girl was still a relay distance away, at a constantly accelerating pace. The child jumped into the bushes, and disappeared behind them. Alice scrambled through the thicket, and in a frenzy looked around for her small companion.

"Natsuki! Natsuki where are you?" the maiden hollered, but her voice echoed in the winter forest, lingering on the freezing breeze. As the voice died off, Alice scanned the woods but the white rabbit girl remained elusive. She sighed and caught a glimpse of the frost carpet, a stain gray of small footprints made a blemish on the smooth, snow rug. The maiden quickly dashed off, her path along side the small set. She stopped when the child was back in her view.

XxX

She sat in a small clearing, a tree with icicles instead of leaves sat in the middle of the spot. Her body was right next to it, clearly visible except for a arm with was stretched out, its ending apendige was hidden behind the ebony bark. Alice took a few small steps to the side, to see Natsuki's face clearer, hoping to see what had the small rabbit captivated. Her eyes fell were concentrated on the small girl, so she was unprepared for the rock that had made her slip onto her backside.

"Whoa, WHOA, AHHH!" came out of her throat and so did a series of curses when she lay on the wet surface.

Alice knelt up, trying to ignore the pain in her backside, and rose to her feet. She turned to the tree, hoping to catch a glimpse at the small girl. Her ruby eyes were focused at her but so were another pair. Alice's own turquoise irises widened at the owner.

XxX

There was a small girl, crouching behind the albino child, though Alice spotted she was taller than the rabbit. She wore a deep dark ebony coat, golden pached on the shoulders and matching buttons went up the front. The coat itself went down to her knees, to end at a pair of matching pants and shoes, as well as similar colored shoes with golden laces. On her head, deep blue bangs hanged on her forehead, long stands followed them. Alice knew who she was, not from her clothes or hair, but the eyes which were on the plump face. The eyes that so resembled her father's…

They were blue, deep blue. They wore a shade that could make the ocean envious of their depth, and they shone only as sapphire's could dream of shining. Alice knew only one person in Wonderland, who had eyes like that.

The eyes were more depressed and glassy than the ones the foreigner had seen almost every day, and she knew why, for it was the same reason the other children had. Feelings of loneliness, separation, and fear had brought out the tears in the children, and Alice knew that she couldn't just stand there and watched them fall.

"Alice-onee-chan. This is my friend, Aoi Monrey." the rabbit started. "I told her about what's going on, I hope you can take care of her."

"I thought you were Julius's daughter. My name is Alice Liddell, and I promise to take good care of you." Alice said, her voice warm and soft. She reached her hand out to the girl, but the girl flinched and hide once more behind the smaller child. Alice's smile was now a look of confusion.

"Oh, sorry Alice-onee-chan! Aoi-chan is really shy, so she can be a little timid." explained Natsuki, a little bit of panic in her voice. Her hands were moving about in random directions.

"It's okay." Alice smiled. "I've had a few friends like her when I was little."

_When I was little_… She suddenly remembered being surrounded by many friends, all warm and kind, no matter what time of day. No matter the situation she could always find a bright smile, and now that she'd had left them for this world she would never see them again…

"Alice-onee-chan? What's wrong?" the rabbit's voice snapped Alice back to the present. Both girls had confused looks which made herself confused. Suddenly, she felt something on her face, her cheeks were wet, and realized that she'd started crying.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what got over me," she started, a little bit of sadness held onto her voice. She began to rub her eyes, rubbing a few more tears.

The cobalt haired child stared at the maiden, she began to take a few steps towards her. The navy blue haired girl took a few steps leaving her young friend behind her. Alice soon felt something tug at her sky blue dress, she looked down to find the azure eyes staring up at her. The foreigner squatted to get a better look at the girl, her turquoise eyes were right in front of the ultramarine ones, when she felt something soft caress her cheek. It was a gold handkerchief in the palm of the small girl.

"It's okay Alice-nee-chama. I miss my family too." she whispered in soft voice, one filled with sadness and loneliness.

Alice rubbed her eyes again, and set her hand on Aoi's head, this time the girl didn't flinch. "Thanks you, Aoi." a voice full of gratefulness and a little relief.

"Your welcome. Oh, that's right." she took a step back and bowed her head. "My name is Aoi Monrey. Please take good care of me. I hope we can be friends." She lifted her head, on her face was a cheerful, happy beam, that warmed Alice's heart.

"Don't worry, I promise I'll take care of you and we're going to be good friends." Alice smiled back.

"Yeah, Alice-onee-chan is a really nice girl. Don't worry we'll be fine." cheered Natsuki.

"Now, come on! Let's go home. Everyone is waiting for us." the maiden held out her hand, hoping the quiet child would take it. The child only returned behind the rabbit. The small ablino sighed and took the hand.

"I'm sorry Alice-onee-chan." the rabbit whispered, her hand close to her mouth. Alice bent down to better understand her words. "She's a really nice girl, she's just… well… _shy_." she chose her word carefully, and whispering it softer than the rest.

"Don't worry, let's just get home." ALice smiled and her grip on the small child got tighter and they soon began to stroll away from the tree. Natsuki was bouncing happily up and down on one side, clamping her hand. Aoi, however, was simply strolling next to her, a inches a part, her eyes still on the ground.

Alice soon felt something in her left side, something small and cold. She looked down to find the mortician's daughter's hand right inside hers. Her azure locks were leaning next to the maiden's arm. The child look up with those deep blue eyes of hers and her lips were stretched into a wide, childish grin. Alice's own smile widen more.

"_She so different, so quiet_…" Alice's mind pondered her new acquaintance "_She's nothing like Natsuki_… _but…she's really cute and sweet… I'm gonna like her."_

They continued their walk back to the tower, the two girls that had been left behind returned, with looks of childish anger that faded when they saw their new companion. When all the girls had shared their hugs, tales and cries of joy, they started their trip back home.

XxX

On their way, Tama's and Aoi's mind were filled with the same questions.

"_I wonder what's Daddy like now…" _thought Tama.

"_I wonder if Otou-chan is different…" _pondered Aoi.

"_What's Daddy like now?_

"_Has Otou-chan changed?"_

"_Is he still kind?"_

"_Will he like me?"_

"_Will I like him?"_

"_I really what to know…"_

"_What Daddy…"_

"_What Otou-chan…"_

"…_is like… now…"_

Their stomachs felt full of giant, exotic butterflies when they heard the familiar **CREAK! **of the wooden doors. _"Well, looks like I'm gonna find out…"_

XxX

I hope you guys like it! I didn't really know how i was gonna put Aoi in the story, but since i needed a new chapter i decided to put her here. I hope you guys like here and the other girls.

Aoi's name means blue, and Julius is the only Roleholder with blue hair and eyes i thought it would be a good name for her. Besides I think its cute!

I kinda need some help you guys can send me some fanart i would like some help with designing the girls clothes and looks I'm gonna let my website show on my profile so please help!

But i would if i get some too many weird messages i gonna stop, but please send!

I love all my reviews, please send some more!


	7. Chapter 7 Nice to Meet You in the Past!

Hey everyone, sorry for taking so long! I hope this chapter makes up for the time you spent waiting!

Special Thanks to everyone who reviewed! A special shout out to ElliotxALicexLover, Ink'n'Echo, Space Whales, PastyFace, and EarthRiddle!

See you soon

* * *

Chapter 7 Nice to Meet You in the Past! Father-Daughter Bonding!

The first thing that greeted the girls was the warm air that defrosted their skin, washing away stress and aches. They strolled to sort of living room, its furniture of old tables and couches scattered around the wide space. A roaring fire crackled happily on one of the jade walls. There, two figures welcomed the girls. Gray was smiling; a few mugs were standing on a silver tray in his hand. Nightmare was huddled over the flame, a tan blanket draped over his body.

"Oh welcome back everyone," Gray spoke. "It sure did take you a while."

"Oh well," the maiden started. "We kinda had few distractions…" her voice trailed off her eyes and finger motioning down at the ground. Gray's topaz eyes followed the directions, to find Tama staring at him, like a science experiment, waiting for something to explode. Aoi was behind Alice's striped socks; her eyes were also on the man. The rabbit girl had set herself on the couch closest to the scene, her head in her arms, waiting for the play to proceed. Meanwhile, the small silver haired girl had something else to watch…

* * *

"_Hmm… more girls, I wonder where these are from." _Nightmare thought. His uncovered eye bounced from girl to girl, it finally resting on Natsuki. _"She was the first one here; let's see she knows about what's going on with all these kids popping up."_

In a few seconds, he could see the little girl running up to Heart Castle, there was a shadow, its features made it masculine looking with two long ears on its head. His colors were soon flooding the figure, and Nightmare pondered, "Hey he looks like…"

Suddenly, a pain hit his forehead; the image he had was lost.

His only apparent eye shut as he swore mentally. "What the f#$k just happened?," was what his was screaming but his mouth remained shut. He began to growl, about to shout, but the sound of sobs silenced the roar before it rang out of his throat. He opened his only apparent eye to see tears in Yumeko's own pepper eyes.

"I'm…I'm sorry Nii-san. It's…It's just… your face was red so I thought you had a fever. I was only trying to see if you were okay, but Yume-chan didn't mean to hit you! Yume-chan is sorry!" she sobbed.

There was sudden change in mood for the incubus. His mechanical heart suddenly warmed, but also there sort of a stab. A sudden urge swept him, a desire to wipe her tears away, and without realizing it, his hand was on her silver locks.

"It's okay, don't worry I not mad." Nightmare uttered. "Just next time, don't slap me. You've got quite an arm." His hand left her hair to tap the small red mark on his head.

"Okay, Yumeko will be gentler from now on." The girl took a corner of the tan sheet and covered her body. She placed her head on his arm, and began to stare with an absent-mind at the flame.

In her mind, you could have heard sobs inside her head. "Otou-sama, I'm sorry I really am. I didn't want to… but I couldn't think of anything else. I'm sorry, but I promised Nee-san, that I would keep the secret."

Yumeko began to rub her head against Nightmare's side. What she desired was comfort, but he thought she wanted warmth, and placed his arm around the girl, bringing her closer to his body and the fire. She snuggled, once more, a rosy blush on her face, along with a smile.

* * *

While Yumeko's tale had reached its resolution, Tama was still in spotlight, waiting for her cue to begin the play's climax. Her lemon eyes were mesmerized by Gray's, unable to sway.

"Hello there, little girl, my name is Gray Ringmarc. What's yours?" the lizard man asked, his knees bent and his back hunched, so he could be at eye level with her.

"Tama. Tama Ri..." the ebony haired child hushed up. The words stopped by Alice's words and her promise.

"_Everyone, don't tell anyone who you really ar. This is the past, and none of Roleholders are married yet. If you say that you are their kids, it is going to cause a lot of confusion and problems. I know it will be hard but to do, but please."_

"Excuse me, Tama…?" Gray's baritone voice brought her back to reality.

"Just Tama. It's just Tama, Gray-onii-sama." She replied, mind still wondering on the man in front of her.

"Well, just Tama, it's nice to meet you. I hope I can be friends with you." Gray responded.

"Me too!" Tama cried, her voice filled with joy, she suddenly felt something warm on her head. Gray had positioned his hand on her mop of dark locks. She smiled to herself and she felt a heavy wait on her chest lifted. _"I knew it, Daddy is still kind…" _

"Tama hopes you can be friends with Roary-chan and Aoi-chan too!" the small girl cried out.

Gray's face showed confusion, until he quickly surveyed the scene. He smiled and said, "This must be Roary." His hand moved to the stuff toy's head. "And you must be Aoi." His maize yellow eyes were now on the cowering child behind Alice's legs.

The child lowered her head, hoping to hide behind the baby blue fabric of Alice's skirt. Her hands clenched the knee length dress for, what appeared to be, dear life. The small girl showed an azure eye, only to have it vanish again.

"Come on Aoi-chan, there's no need to hide. Gray-onii-sama is nice." Tama coaxed her timid from her hideaway.

"There's no need to be scared, Aoi," Alice said, her voice full of gentle warmth. Alice gently touched the silky curls of the wary child behind her. Aoi's hands released the fabric, and she slowly took a few steps in front of the maiden.

"My…My name is Aoi… it's nice to meet you." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Well, Aoi my name is Nightmare Gottschalk, the **mighty** lord of Clover Tower," the incubus boasted, "Welcome to _my _territory."

"Kids," Gray began, putting his arms on Tama's and Aoi's shoulders, pulling them closer to him. "That's Nightmare, the **_lazy_** lord of the Clover Tower."

All the girls dissolved themselves in a fit of giggles. Gray chuckled at his own wit, he could not defy Nightmare, but at least he could have fun with him.

"Hey! I am the lord here! You can't say that!" The sickly man whined, his foot now on an ottoman, his finger pointing at his assistant.

"If you started acting like the lord, then I won't," the lizard man retorted.

The females in the room were now, completely captured in laughter, a contagious disease in any world. The men also started chuckling right beside them. The room began to resonate with the sound, so much it began to annoy to final Roleholder living in the tower.

"What's all this ruckus about?" A deep, stern voice cut into the room. Every head turned to find the Clockmaster, staring at them with cold eyes. Aoi stared back, her eyes wider than they ever had been before.

"Oh sorry Julius, we just caught in the moment." Alice chuckled; she wiped a few tears that had gathered during the laughter.

"Julius…" the word made the small, navy eyed girl now excited, terrified and hopeful all at the same time. She was not thinking that when she took a few steps, to get a better look at the man. What she heard was Julius but her mind only came across one word. _"Otou-chan…"_

Julius viewed the small child in front of her. "Who's this?" he turned his head, to face the sandy-haired maiden, his gloved hand had a finger pointing at the girl in front of him.

"Oh, she's…" Alice started and a feeling of awkwardness flooded her. Nobody would have acted differently in her situation. _"Your daughter…"_ That was the truth, but she could not say that. If she did, the insane Wonderland would become, even more bonkers, if that were even possible. Lying was not her favorite hobby; she hated doing it, especially to Julius, a man who was like family to her.

She finally found her voice and words that would help her, in a situation that was even too bizarre for psychotic Wonderland. "This is Aoi. I found her in the woods; she is lost from her family. Is it okay if she stays here with me, at least for a little while?"

Aoi's heart began to beat wildly and desperately, _"Please Otou-chan?"_ she silently begged. _"If you are the same kind person I know you are you'll let me stay, won't you?"_

The tall man sighed, "As long as she or any other runts you find, **don't **interfere my work, I'll let them stay."

"Thank you! Thank you Julius-onii-chama!" Aoi cried, and without warning, she leaped at the tall man. The man suddenly felt his cheeks getting hot, as they turned a deep shade of crimson.

"I think she likes you, "commented Alice, who continued to stare at the small girl, now snuggling the men's chest, her feet off the ground by a huge gap.

"Hey, come on, let me go!" Julius grunted his flush slowly creeping from his cheeks to his forehead and to his toes. He wanted to get back to his office and away from the unwanted stares.

"Oh!" she gasped, as she let go of the man, her feet meeting the ground. Her head aligned with the mortician's knees. "Aoi's sorry….."

"It's fine." He sighed, relieved to get the girl off him. "I'll be leaving; I'll see you all later." He nodded his head towards the maiden. He took a few steps when he felt a tug of his jacket. His sapphire eyes glanced down, a small pair of fingers clutched the ebony fabric.

"What is it?" he grunted, stress and annoyance were rising.

"Um, Julius-onii-chama?" Aoi whispered, her cobalt eyes staring at the carpet. Her hands scrunched her own coat, "Can i watch you fix some clocks?"

He exhaled, and grunted "Okay, but don't distract me."

"Okay, I won't…" the girl said. He began to pace to his office, the small child, running to keep up. Occasionally, when the ultramarine haired kid caught up with her older, masculine counterpart, a sound of strange footsteps, like skipping, rung in the hallow hall.

* * *

"I wonder why Aoi so hung up on Julius. He doesn't seem like the type who does well with kids." Nightmare commented, as he guzzled some more hot chocolate.

"Maybe she likes hard workers, unlike _some_ people," Alice glanced at the sickly man to her right, "Julius actually gets _his_ work done."

"Hey Alice, that's cold! I've worked all day!" The incubus whined.

"Yet, you've only completed 7 papers out of the 50 that you were supposed to have finished _last_ week." Gray retorted.

Nightmare's face showed hurt, his back hunched and continued to drink the hot chocolate. He never spoke a word after that.

The light in the room suddenly dimmed. All the heads in the chamber turned to the windows, which showed a burgundy sky.

"Well, it's time to get back to work." Gray grunted as he got out of the chair. As he stretched, he grabbed his boss's collar. The incubus suddenly sensed what was about to happen, and he struggled against the lizard man's grip, but it was futile.

"Well, Alice we'll be seeing you." The assistant calmly said over the loud protests of his boss.

"Onee-chan? I'm hungry." The words shot out of the small rabbit's mouth. A large grumble soon followed, a scarlet blush was now on Alice's face.

Alice chuckled, "I'm starting to get hungry too. I am going to go into the kitchen and make something. Do you guys have any requests?"

"Yeah, can we help?" Tama asked her topaz eyes seem to sparkle with excitement.

"We can help! We help our mamas in the kitchen!" Natsuki added, her ruby irises sparkling with excitement.

"Please Nee-san?" Yumeko pleaded her hematite eyes were glistening.

Unable to turn away from the trio of shining, adorable eyes, Alice caved into their whim. _"What harm could they do?" _she thought. "Alright you can help, so what's on the menu?"

"Yume-chan wants stew," squealed the small incubus.

"That's sounds good to me. Let's get started," the maiden said, and with that, the three girls had darted out of the room.

"Hey," the sandy haired girl chuckled, "Wait for me!"

* * *

Gray sighed as he left his sickly boss to his work. He made have to add some workers by the door to make sure he did not escape, along with adding a shackle to the incubus, which tied him to the desk. There was much fuss, but as along as the work got done, he would not complain.

He stopped when a scent caught his nostrils. It was warm and sweet, his stomach now growled with hunger. He strolled into the kitchen to find the sight of Alice's back over the sink.

"Alice? What are you doing?" the lizard man questioned.

The maiden turned around and smiled at the man. "Oh hi Gray, we were just getting everything ready for dinner."

Gray turned to the stove to find Yumeko and Natsuki were stirring the contents of a large pot. Beside them was a pile of round white objects, which assumed were peeled potatoes. Next to them, he saw a head covered in black hair in pigtails. He gently placed his wide hand on the small shoulder, causing a pair of shocked golden eyes to turn to him.

"Hello there Tama, sorry if I scared you," the man said, "You sure good at peeling potatoes."

The little girl blushed and she beamed, "Yeah, I always help Mommy in the kitchen."

"Is there any way I can help?" he asked.

"Ummm…" the girl hesitated, her eyes scanning around the room, when Alice tapped the man on his shoulder.

"It would be great if you set out the dishes." The maiden said, motioning to an oak cupboard. He nodded and opened it, taking some pure white bowls out of the cabinet and walked out of the kitchen.

"Phew," Tama exhaled. "Thank you Alice-onee-sama."

"No problem," Alice voiced. Her turquoise eyes met the naked spuds and she picked up one. It was still round and there was not a trace of peel on it. "You sure are good at this."

"Yep! I always help Mommy out in the kitchen," Tama beamed. "Mommy's is a great cook."

"Well I believe that your mother makes Gray set out the dishes a lot," Alice remarked.

"Yeah, she does it, because she says Daddy is a botcher," the little girl responded.

"A botcher?" the maiden asked.

"Yep, he doesn't mean to," the little ravenette but sometimes he puts too much or too little of something, he does not cook a dish for the nighttime, or he doesn't set the temperature right. He does his best, but sometimes…" she sighed.

"I know, I know." Alice giggled and she began to stroke Tama's jet-black locks.

"Hey Tama," Yumeko called, "You want to try some of this soup?"

The little girl picked up a spoon and scooped it into the stew. She lifted the utensil and placed it to her lips. "Yum!" she squealed.

The lizard man finally made his appearance, and the dark haired child cried, "Onii-sama! Come over here."

The man strolled over to the little girl. "What is it?"

"Here, you want to try some stew?" the small girl asked. She dipped the spoon into the pot and lifted it, once more. Her other hand became a bowl, curving itself underneath, ready to catch any drops. "Say Aahh.."

Gray chuckled and played along, "Ah…" He opened his mouth wide, and snapped it shut with the spoon inside. He pulled it out with own hand. "It's very delicious."

Alice mind squealed at the sight. _"They are soo cute! I kind of always thought that Gray would make a good dad or 'Daddy', Tama is such an adorable girl!" _Her teal orbs were on the child. Her black coat was now a pale white shirt covered by a coal colored dress that went down her knees.

"_I've got to capture this." _She caught herself. _"Capture? Capture what? What am I thinking?" _She found her hand was inside her apron pocket. "_What am I doing? I am forgetting something?" _A twinge of pain made her hand go up to her head. _"What I mean by 'capture'?"_

"Hey, Alice-nee-san can you help us out over here?" Yumeko called, breaking Alice's thoughts.

"Okay! I'm coming!" the maiden yelled, and her ideas were scattered to the wind.

* * *

Julius was working on his clocks, like usual, but he had a different spectator. Aoi's sapphire eyes were shining like highly polished gems. She watched him, like a present just waiting to unwrapped. Julius kept getting distracting by the small child's beam.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" The man remarked his voice was full annoyance.

"Because, Otou-chan's the best when it comes to clocks!" the child declared.

"Otou-chan?" the clockmaster asked his face turned from a scowl to a look of confusion.

The child blushed and replied "Ah! Sorry it's just that my Otou-chan fixes clocks just like you!"

"Is that so?" he retorted and he went back to his work. A screwdriver began to delicately twist a screw in place. "_Now what I need is…"_ his hand reached, instinctively out, but when his hand stopped, he found that his hand had only come across only clear desk.

Aoi got up from her seat, revealing a navy blue dress with a powder blue bow tied around the dress. On the fringe was a pattern of golden circles that spun around the end of the fabric. She strolled over to a table, its smooth oak surface covered in sacks oozing a red liquid. She shifted around them, and she grabbed two objects, a bottle and a pair of tweezers, and placed them before the man. His royal blue eyes were shocked.

"Thank you… How did you know what I needed?" He asked.

"Oh, I watch Otou-chan fix clocks for hours. I fetch him whatever he needs. Sometimes Otou-chan works so long that he gets so tired; he falls asleep at his desk. He works hard, everyday all the time, but he always makes time for us, and he never forget to tuck us in at night. Otou-chan is the best! Someday Aoi hopes she can help Otou-chan fix clocks too!"

She stared at the man before her, his eyes that were once cold were now intrigued. He soon huffed back to his work, "Your father sure does seem like a good man," he stated.

"So are you! Oni-chama, you let me and my friends stay here. You are very kind. You are also great at fixing clocks too! You're the best!" the small girl cheered, and a cerise blush came across the Julius's face. He turned his head away from the kid.

"Do you think I'll be able to fix clocks as great as Otou-chan or you, Onii-chama?" the little girl sighed, her irises shimmered with a dreamy look

"…I…" Julius started; his eyes darted towards the child's orbs then looked away. "I think you'll do fine."

Then Aoi felt something. Something she had felt in her life, a feeling that she knew and used to, but like this. The feeling of a large warm hand patting on her sapphire locks, sometimes it resting on her head, gently moving the curls around, just not like this. She was used to a smiling face, but instead when she looked up she didn't see that, only long stands of dark hair that belonged to owner of the hand.

"_Otou-chan? Why don't you smile?"_ the child's mind pondered, _"You always smile, at least in you did, when you were my Otou-chan. Is it because Okaa-chan isn't here? You always smile when she is around… Where is your smile, where did it go? I want to see your smile. I'll you smile, just Okaa-chan did, I promise." _

With that promise, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the warm hand, set down on her head.

_Creak!_

The cobalt haired man stopped and the azure haired child opened her midnight blue eyes, to see Natsuki in the doorway. "Alice-onee-chan told me to tell you dinner is ready. Come on!" the rabbit child called and she ran. Aoi had gotten up and had begun to walk away, but Julius had stayed put, his hands were still on the clock before him.

"Aren't you coming?" asked Aoi.

"No, I'm too busy," Julius, grunted.

"Come on, take a break!" she shrugged her arm over to the door.

"No." He twisted the screwdriver.

"Won't you come?" She strolled over to the man, her azure eyes looking up at his.

"No." He dripped some oil on the watch.

"Please?" She tugged at his navy jacket.

"No!" _"This kid is starting to bug me…"_

"Please?" Her cerulean eyes began to tear.

"…." He paused at the sight.

"….. Alright." He grumbled.

She grabbed his waist and shrieked, "Thank you!"

Another crimson blush was on Julius's face. He followed out Aoi of his office. His mind was on the small child, walking before him. _"She's sure is troublesome, like most children. Yet…" _His mind focused on the child's words … words about him…_ 'You are very kind. You're the best!'_

These words made the sullen man's cheeks and he thought, _"She's troublesome, but I guess she's not too annoying… and…I guess she's cute."_

"Onii-chama, hurry up! Dinner's all gone by the time we get there!" the girl called from down the hall, her hand waved back and forth. "Everyone not gonna keep waiting!"

"I'm coming," he groaned and he hiked down the hall and stairs, a small grin on his face.

The small child glanced back at the mortician, noticing the crack on his face. _"It's not the same smile I know…but it's a start."_

* * *

"Now, Nightmare-nii-san, don't forget to chew your food ten times, okay?" Yumeko reminded.

"Okay, okay," The incubus chuckled, taking another sip of soup. "Alice, you are the best cook, if you were not here, then we would starve."

"That's not true, you guys have Gray," Alice stated. "He can cook."

"If _that's_ the case," Julius chortled, "We won't starve, we'll be **poisoned**."

A roar of laughter followed, the Lizard's face turned a shade of maroon.

"Hey, that's not nice! Julius-onii-sama, say you are sorry," commanded Tama.

"Don't worry about it, Tama," Gray reassured.

Aoi added, "Julius-onii-chama, you should really apologize."

"Sorry," the clockmaster grumbled.

Alice chuckled, _"It's been a long time," _she thought. "_Since I sat down to a dinner like this." She began to reminisce, of her childhood. _Back when her mother was alive, back when her father's laughter rung throughout their home, when her family _**was **_a family, a warm, close family.

She watched the scene at the table, the faces of old, new friends, her heart swelled with warmth, and she continued to swallow the meal, a smile stretched on her face.

Natsuki looked at the same sight but her own heart sank. Aoi and Julius, Tama and Gray, Yumeko and Nightmare, all her friends had their fathers, but she did not. She had no one, no family, with her now. Even a man would _become_ your father was better than no father at all. Her spoon idly swirled in her cold supper and then it lay on the table. She got up from her chair, her ivory ears pressed on her head, drooping. Alice watched the child, her face showed worry for the rabbit

* * *

As dinner ended, the sky, a dark tapestry with small sparkles sewn into the midnight black fabric, sent the men back to work and the girls off to bed. Alice's mind still pondered Natsuki, _"She looked so sad. I wonder what made her upset."_

She opened her bedroom, and she changed, her sky dress dropped to the ground and she now wore a cream-colored nightgown. Suddenly, she heard something, the sound of a child's sobs. She turned to find the small rabbit crouched near the bed, her head resting on her knees.

Alice sat next to the child, stroking her snow-white hair. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"He's not here…" Natsuki muttered.

"Huh?"

"Papa's not here," the child continued. "Aoi-chan, Yume-chan, and Tama-chan all have their papas. They can talk to them, and play them and hold them, but Suki-chan's papa isn't here so she can't hold him or talk to him, or do anything. I miss Papa. I miss his smile, I miss his warm hugs, I miss his kisses on my forehead and cheeks, but most of all…"

* * *

"_Natsuki!" a voice cried and soon enough she swept up in her father's arms, a goofy smile on his face. _

"_Papa! Stop it! You're squeezing me!" she giggled and squealed as her papa began to pepper her face with butterfly kisses._

"_No, I love you so much, that I don't ever want to, let you go," Peter protested, as he snuggled the child even closer to him._

"_That's right," a new voice, a woman's voice, joined the two. Another arm wrapped around the small child and the figure nested its dark, blank face next to Peter's head. "We love you so much, that we never ever want to go of you."_

"_Mama, Papa, I love you!" Natsuki cried and she spread her arms out wide, clumped on to her parents who returned the embrace._

* * *

"Most of all… I miss my Papa!" Natsuki began to sob once more, only loudly and more heart wrenching. These sobs were just like the ones Alice heard when she met the child.

"It is okay, Natsuki don't cry, it's alright," Alice soothed the rabbit.

The rabbit's sobs silenced, but her tears still flowed from her cheeks. "_What do I do?"_ Alice's mind deliberated, _"I can't just let her cry like that… I guess I have one thing to do… I'm going to regret this…" _

"Natsuki, how about we go to Heart Castle tomorrow?" offered Alice.

The rabbit's ears perked up instantly. "Really? I can go see Papa tomorrow? You mean it?"

"Yeah, sure…"

"Thank you Onee-chan! Thank you!" Natsuki cheered.

"Now you know… your papa might not be the same man you know that right?" the maiden questioned.

"Yeah, I know, so what's he like now?" the child asked.

"Well he's…" _A crazy stalker? An obsessed rabbit? Someone who is madly in love with me? _These were the most obvious statements she could make about the White Rabbit, but instead, "He's a very _energetic _man," were the words that were out of her mouth.

The kid wrapped her arms around the maiden's neck. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," replied Alice as a thought ran through her mind.

_"I have a **hell** of a day tomorrow..."_

* * *

I hope everyone liked this chapter! Please Review, if i don't get more reivews i'll stop i mean it! (JK, but it motivates me to work when i read reviews.)

Alice is going to the castle... I wonder who she'll meet there...


	8. Chapter 8 The Day at Heart Castle!

Hey everyone sorry for taking so long, I've been busy with school it was hell...

I'm going to do some profiles on the girls so check on my profile!

Well now I'm alive so here's Daisuki Papa!

* * *

Chapter 8 The Day at Heart Castle! What Will Happen? Who knows!

The falling petals, light shades of pink blush colored the tree tops, instead of emerald leafs, made Alice know, beyond a doubt, that she was at Heart Castle. Usually, under most circumstances would avoid the palace. The only reason she would step into the noble grounds was to answer to the queen's teatime request. If she did not… the maiden gently grasped her neck, to remind her that she still had her head attached.

The only reason, besides saving herself from decapitation, stood before her. The small rabbit whose crimson eyes widen at the sight of the coral flowers blooming abundantly.

"It's just like I never left…" the albino child sighed, nostalgically. Her head twisted as she scanned the magenta forest.

"Hey you guys! Wait for us!" Alice and Natsuki turned around and found the three other girls were running behind them.

Aoi, Tama, Yumeko finally caught up to the two.

"Did…. You….. have to…. run…. so fast?" panted Tama, her hands were on her knees. The other two sat on the ground, their backs pressed against each other's.

"Well, blame Natsuki, she's the one who ran a million miles an hour," Alice replied, her thumb point to the rabbit.

"Come on, you guys!" the bunny girl was even farther from them then when Alice last glanced over her shoulder. "Before you know it, it will be night!" The rabbit dashed off once more, almost out of sight.

"Natsuki!" cried Alice. "Wait for us!" Once more, the maiden dashed after the white rabbit. Chasing her until the cherry blossom foliage, was behind her, and she now stood by walls of deep viridian green with occasional blood red blossom, the deep, rich fragrance that bloomed from the scarlet flowers replaced the light, warm smell of the coral buds. She knew well where she was, she deep in Heart Castle's rose garden maze.

"Natsuki!" the foreigner screamed, her voice echoed. A silence followed and Alice sighed. "Hey, are you guys okay back there," she turned her head only to find towering bushes. She glanced at all sides but none of the small girls was in view.

"_Oh great! I lost all of them!"_ she cursed herself, and began to stroll around the labyrinth, glancing down the paths.

"Natsuki, Yumeko!" she screamed down one lane. "Tama, Aoi!" she hollered down another.

"_Just where did they go?" _ She turned all around.

_***CRASH***_

Alice crashed down on the grass, vaguely remembering that something had bumped into her leg, causing her to lose her balance. She rubbed her head, _"Just what was that?"_

"Ouch! Sorry about that old lady." A little girl's voice spoke, "Didn't see you there."

"_Old Lady? Just who is this kid?"_ the maiden's mind howled in anger. Her teal orbs revealed themselves from their curtains, peering around to find the reason for her tumble. Her malachite eyes widen with shock and realization. _"I think I know…."_

She stared at a small child, chestnut locks tied up in a short ponytail on top up on her head, by a vermillion ribbon. A carmine jacket over the girl's shoulders, revealed a black shirt. She wore black pants tucked into brown boots with xs on the front part.

She was already a pintsize version of her father. They were practically identical. Yet the definite feature that they shared was that smile. Cheerful, wide, carefree, a smile always worn by her dad, beamed happily on her face. She was definitely her father's daughter.

Alice's mouth was agape, like a fish, her lips then curled up in a small smile and sighed. _"I should_ _have been expected this. Well, one more isn't gonna hurt, right." _Then she remembered who she was, remembered her father was. _"This one's going to be trouble."_

"Oh, don't worry about it." Alice said, lifting herself off the ground, dusting off her apron and tugging at her blue skirt.

"No problem," the girl said nonchalantly,picking herself up. "Hey can you help me out with something?"

"What is it?" the maiden asked.

"I need to find my dad, if I don't Mom's gonna be really mad at both of us." She stated, as she tugged her boots up.

"Well, I can find him, but it won't be easy to get to your mom," answered the young woman.

"How so? Do you get lost easily too?" the kid questioned, tilting her head to the side.

"No," Alice grunted, to hide her anger. "It's because we are not in the Heart Castle you know,"

"What?" The girl's confusion was obvious in her voice and on her face.

"Well, it's a little… complicated…" Alice started, "Do you remember any flashes of light before we met?"

"Umm… Yeah!" the child face expressed realization. "I was trying to find Dad in the garden, when I turned down a path, when everything went black, I got thought it just turned night, but then it turned to day again. When I saw everything, it all changed somehow."

"Well, you are right everything is different." The maiden stated.

"Huh?" the child's face was again in confusion.

"I don't know how, but you are 10 years in the past," Alice explained.

The child's eyes widened, "Really? Boy how am I gonna explain this to Mom."

"I don't think you'll be seeing your mom for a while," The maiden felt her sweat drop down her head.

"Oh!" the child then asked, "Can I still see Dad?"

"Sure, but don't call him Dad okay?" the blonde-haired woman requested. "It would cause a lot of confusion. Just keep it a secret that you are his daughter, okay."

"Sure thing!" the child chirped. "Oh, what's your name?"

"Oops! I guess I forgot introduce myself. I'm Alice Liddell, it's nice to meet you," the maiden replied.

"The name's…" the child started.

"Onee-chama! Where are you Onee-chama?" a small voice cried out. The two girls, one brunette and one blonde, turned to find a familiar bob of blue hair. The girl looked up and her blue orbs immediately eyed the smaller girl.

"Mamo-chan?" the child questioned, her blue eyes widened.

"Aoi!" the other kid left the foreigner's side. She quickly dashed for the smaller girl. Her arms clasped on the navy haired child, her cheek rubbing against Aoi's face. "How are you doing, little sis?"

"You're squishing me, I can't breathe, I'm not your sister," the captured child bluntly stated.

"But you are soo cute! I wish I had a cute little sister like you!" the brunette kid squealed. She lifted her skin off Aoi's. She turned her face and puckered her lips. The Clock Master's daughter began to push her captive away.

Alice, at first, confused at the scene at the girls in front of her. Slowly, her confusion vanished as a fit of giggles. _"Like their fathers before them."_

Aoi glanced at the maiden; her mouth formed an "o" shape. "Oh, Onee-chama, this is Mamoru Chivalron. She's Ace-onii-chama's daughter."

"I already guessed that. Nice to meet you, Mamoru." Alice greeted.

"Pleasures all mine." Mamoru responded.

"So, are we going to see Dad… oops!" the child placed her hand on her mouth. "I mean, Ani*?"

"Well, knowing your dad," Alice said, coyly, "We'll either see him in about…. three time periods."

All the girls exploded into a fit of laughter, knowing well enough the knight's tendency of getting lost.

"Hey, what all this, then?" a new tenor voice silenced the laughter at first sound.

All the girls began to twist their heads, but the male was out of sight. It was only until tap on Aoi's shoulder, causing the child to shriek, all eyes stared at a young man, the lower half of his body behind the green hedge.

"Ace!" Alice shrieked.

"The one and only!" the man lifted himself up, and swung his legs over the green leafs. Both his legs hit the ground with a _thud!_ "Hey, Alice I found some little kids, they've been looking for you."

Those words grew three little heads poking out the overlarge shrub. "Onee-chan!" "Nee-san!" "Onee-sama!" the heads cried simultaneously, and then all three girls jumped.

Another thud occurred, this time the ones who fell, were now on Alice. The small arms squeezed the maiden tightly. "We're sorry we left you! We'll never leave you again!" They all squealed their grips tighten on the older woman.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. Just let go of me okay?" Alice wheezed, the weight of the kids and their clutch on her body, causing her to gasp her words.

The kids crawled off her, their heads lowered, faces facing the ground. The ears on the white head drooped. Alice rubbed the child's locks with her hand. "Now, now don't worry. I'm fine." The children's faces beamed, and once more, the foreigner found herself embraced by the girls.

"I'm sorry myself for leaving you guys by yourselves," the maiden put her arms around the tykes.

"It's okay, Nee-san. Ace-nii-san found us, he even played hide-n-seek with us," Yumeko assured.

"These sure are some cute girls, Alice. Where did you find them?" pondered the knight.

"Well, you know, here and there…" the foreigner played with her hair, trying to come up with a scapegoat. She eyed the two girls standing next to her. This was her chance, "Hey! Aoi! Mamoru! Why don't you introduce yourselves?"

"Okay! The name's Mamoru! This here is my best friend Aoi. Pleasure to meet you!" the small brunette piped, her hand extended out.

"Pleasure's all mine!" the young man, took the child's small hand and his larger one engulfed it. His blood red eyes began to sparkle with realization. He turned to the blonde maiden, now standing up, each of her hands clasped by a pair of smaller ones. "By the way, Alice, I was looking for you! Vivaldi was screeching about cutting off ten servants' heads if you didn't come and visit."

"Good thing we came when we did. Natsuki can we visit the queen first?" The maiden asked.

"It's OK! I don't mind going to see her. Let's go!" The rabbit cheered.

"Hey, where did Ace-onii-sama and Mamo-chan go?" Tama asked.

All the girls twisted around looking for the knight and the small girls but neither was insight.

"Well, looks like we'll have to go find them," Alice sighed, "I hope Vivaldi won't mind waiting for a while."

* * *

After about half an hour, sky was now showing its evening colors, they had found both of them, lost Mamoru, found her again, lost Ace, found him again, and had finally reached their destination.

"Well, this where I say goodbye. See you!" The knight saluted and strolled off.

"Alice-ane*, can I go with Ace-ani?" the small brunette asked.

"No, then we won't be able to see you for three time periods, at least!" the maiden explained, "Now come on, Vivaldi is waiting for us."

The walked into the opening, there a few faceless maids and soldiers standing near the shrub wall. In the middle, was a table with two chairs. One was empty; it faced another where the famous monarch sat sipping some tea.

Her beautiful face widened, "Alice! We have been waiting!" she said.

"Good evening, your majesty!" a chorus of voice caused the queen's violet eyes to look down to find the small troupe of girls. Each had their head down for a second; they raised them up to show her majesty an assembly of cute smiles.

"Oh Alice!" Vivaldi squealed, lowering herself to see the children closer. "We must know who these adorable creatures are!"

"Well, that is a long story," Alice started. Her marine eyes glance over the area, "Hey where's…"

"ALIIICE! MY DEAR!" a loud voice sent a shiver down the maiden's spine. Before she could turn around a pair of red tartan arms held her close to another surface.

"Peter! Let go of me!" Alice shouted.

"Oh my darling dove, how I missed you love!" The rabbit man cooed in delight, his grip got tighter on the girl.

"I mean it Peter, let go of me!" the maiden hollered.

The small albino child stared at the scene, her mind taking it in. Her mind buzzing, full of questions._ It's Papa! No… wait… He is my Papa, but not now… He doesn't remember me. He doesn't even know I exist…. Oh Papa… What do I say? How do I introduce myself? What do I do?_

As the rabbit child silently thought of her conflicting thoughts, Alice dealt with her conflict.

"Come on Peter!" Alice pleaded.

"White! Released Alice this instant!" the queen growled, yearning to slice his head off. "There is too much work to be done, mostly yours!"

"Peter! Get to work and leave me alone," Alice requested.

"No way, my dear. Who cares about work when you are here?" Peter childishly whined.

"Too bad," Alice sighed; her words sound more coy than usual. "I happen to like rabbits who work hard."

The man let his desired go, in an instant. He bowed his head slightly and mumbled, "If you please excuse me, "I have some work to do." He dashed off the path, leaving the females in the dust.

"Now since that vermin is gone, you will explain to us, who these delightful things are?" Vivaldi continued.

"Let's go to your room. This is a rather private tale." The foreigner began to tell her adventures over the last few days with the kids.

* * *

"So that's the story," Alice finished, "These girls are the daughters of the Roleholders and until they can go home, I'm taking care of them."

"We see," the monarch turned her head, to face the group of children who were happily chatting, drinking their tea and chomping down some cookies. "We thought that Natsuki looked like that vile White…" The rabbit looked up, hearing her name, a little bit of cookie sticking out of her mouth. "But this child is this much more cute!"

A pink flush came on Natsuki's face and she grinned, and went back to chomping down her biscuit. She then replied "Thank you Vivaldi-onee-chan! Please promise you'll keep it a secret!"

"Of course, in exchange, we wish for you all to come and visit us while you are still here." The monarch answered.

"We almost were found out, Nightmare-nii-san began to read Natsuki-chan's mind, but Yume-chan stopped him." Yumeko stated.

"Wait, start over, how did you know Nightmare was reading Natsuki's mind." The maiden asked.

"Well," the small incubus placed a finger on her cheek and tilted her head, "I've always been able to tell when Otou-sama reads someone's mind. It is sort of a ping that goes off in my mind. I was able to distract him so I think he doesn't know."

"Let's hope that he doesn't try it again." Tama retorted as she sipped from her cup. Aoi nodded her head in agreement.

"Well that settles that," Vivaldi stated, placing a saucer of tarts in front the children to eat.

"Thank you, Vivaldi-onee-chan, I guess no matter what, you'll always be nice!" the small rabbit cheered.

"What do you mean?" the confused royal questioned.

"Well, the Vivaldi-ane we all know is very kind, and always gives us really nice toys and dresses. Sometimes our dads our jealous so we tease them like this." Mamoru stood up, cleared her throat. "We love our moms this much," She stretched her arms as wide as they would go, "We love Vivaldi-ane this much," the gap shrunk a few inches but there was still a large gap, "And we love our dads…" she clapped her hands together, "This much!" she ended with a mischievous grin.

The small room burst into laughter, and for many hours, the cheer went on. As time passed, the sky switched to its nightwear.

"Well, time for bed," Alice stated.

"Awww, Alice-ane! Can't we stay up for five more minutes?" whined Mamoru.

"No."

"Four more minutes?"

"No."

"Three more minutes?"

"No."

"Two more minutes?"

"No."

"One more minutes?"

"No! Time for bed!" Alice scolded with a humorous tone.

"Please I'm not even _*Yawn*_ sleepy…yet…" the brunette child told in a sleepy tone.

"No, I believe it's time for you to go to bed," the maiden grinned, "I think everyone else has already taken me up on that offer."

All the other girls had already dozed off. Mamoru sighed and lifted Aoi onto her back. Vivaldi took Natsuki in her arms, and Alice carried Tama and Yumeko. Some maids brought some pajamas for the girls to wear. After changing, Mamoru climbed under the sheets and fell asleep herself.

* * *

Alice bid farewell to the queen, and settled herself in a room three doors down from the children. She took of her apron and set her ribbon down. She kicked off her shoes when…

_***BANG***_

"ALIICE!" Once more, the rabbit man wrapped his arms around her waist. "There is no more work for me to do, so I can spend the night with you!"

"No means no Peter, not after last time!" Alice proclaimed.

"But my darling…" he whined, but then he found herself shoved out of the room, the door shut behind him.

**_*KNOCK KNOCK*_**

Alice opened the door to find a furry white rabbit standing outside the door.

"Awice, can I pwease sleep with you?" asked Peter, his eyes wide.

"Okay," she quickly responded, "just stay a rabbit, okay?"

"Okay!" He scrambled and hopped on the bed. He began to snuggle into the sheets, the scene cause the foreigner the squealed at the adorable scene.

Alice began to climb underneath the covers.

**_*KNOCK KNOCK*_**

Both heads turned to the door. The maiden got up and opened the door, there stood Natsuki, her ears drooped down, her face was tear stained. She was wearing a pink camisole with deep red straps; on her chest was a small heart.

"Natsuki? What's wrong?" the maiden asked her voice filled with concern.

"Suki-chan had a bad dream…can Suki-chan sleep with you?" the rabbit child looked up, her eyes just as dewy as her father's orbs.

"It's okay! You can come in," Alice said.

The child walked into the room. Her eyes immediately went to the small rabbit on the bed. "Peter-onii-chan?"

"Who are you?" the bunny asked.

"This is Natsuki; she was out in the garden when I was with Vivaldi. I'm sort of watching her for a while."

The tiny girl looked up at the two in the bed, "I'm sorry I don't want to take up to much space…I know!" With a snap of her fingers, a bright light filled the room, and when Alice and Peter opened their eyes, a small bunny stood.

"Natsuki! You can change into a rabbit too?" Peter's eyes widen.

"Yep! Goodnight Onee-chan! Goodnight Onii-chan!" the small rabbit girl whispered, positioning herself between the two.

"Goodnight Natsuki." The maiden said dreamily, laid a small kiss on the smaller rabbit's forehead, and laid her head on a pillow.

Peter began to pout, "_I wish Alice would kiss me too…"_ Natsuki turned her head from the foreigner to the white rabbit to the foreigner again.

"Hey Onee-chan? Aren't you going to kiss Onii-chan goodnight too?" Natsuki asked.

"Huh?" This question caused a red blush to splash on Peter and Alice's cheeks.

"It's kind of mean to leave Onii-chan out… Why don't you kiss him too?"

"Well… um… that is… to say…" Alice flushed.

"Oh! You guys are gonna do adult kissing! Not looking!" The child tucked her head underneath sheets. "Okay! Go ahead! Suki-chan's not looking!"

Alice stared at the rabbit, his eyes wide with wonder _"Is… Alice…. really going… to kiss… me?"_

"Well…Good night Peter…" Alice pushed the words out of her mouth, and she leaned down, her lips were on his forehead and she quickly turned away, her back facing him.

Peter couldn't believe it…_"My Alice kissed me…"_ he began to beam like a fool. "Good night, my love…" he whispered. He laid his head on the pillow and began drift off. Soon enough, all three people in the bed were asleep.

* * *

So how was that? Hope you guys liked it! Please Reveiw! If i don't 10 reviews i'm gonna discontinue it! I mean it! Send me your ideas and thoughts to fight the ever threatening, ever horrible case of...WRITERS BLOCK! (DA DA DUM!)

*Ani means older brother its less honorific than onii. Its usually used by boys or tomboys since I plan to make Mamoru a tomboy she'll use this honorific. Ane is the female form of Ani.

Mamoru- means guardian or protected one. Since Ace is knight so i thought he would protect those close to him so thats where Mamo-chan gets her name.


	9. Chapter 9 Inside a Rabbit's Heart!

Hi everyone! You have (barley thanks to Alamasco-san and Pookey-san for sending in the 10th and 11th reviews) saved this story (For now… Mwa ha ha!)

Thank you for reading my story _*bow* *bow* *bow* _I hope you guys like this new chapter!

Natsuki: One thing!

Suzubell-chan: What is it?

Natsuki: A big kiss for Elliotxallicexlover-chan and Space Whales-chan for giving Suzubelle-chan lots of ideas and messages.

*Natsuki runs up to them*

Natsuki: Chu!* *Kisses Lover-chan's cheek*

*Natsuki turns her head*

Natsuki: Chu! *Kisses Whale-chan's cheek*

Suzubelle: And remember, I don't own anything except for the girls and the idea.

Now that that has been taken care of! See you later!

* * *

Chapter 9 Inside a Rabbit's Heart! The many ways to say I love you!

Peter beamed idiotically at the sight that lay before him. There was, the love of his life, the girl of his dreams, was only a feet away from her. Her brunette curls flowing down her body, the moonlight illuminating her soft curves under the sheets, and most of all, the beautiful, _adorable_, face with a small grin and pink cheeks.

"_Oh my Alice! You are so cute when you're asleep! Almost as lovely as you are awake!" _His mind cooed. He had changed back into being a man, as it always did when he woke up. He had woken up in the middle of the night, and planned to change back to avoid Alice's rage, but had been distracted by the sight of his desired in slumber.

She shivered a little; Peter quickly grabbed the bedspread and tucked the covers near her shoulders. She sighs in content and he sighs in delight, his whole clockwork heart filling up with the same warmth he always felt, when he saw his beloved smile or laugh or just plain happy.

"_As long as she is truly happy… Those were my words but it still… My heart feels like it has been shot when I think about you being happy in someone else's arms. Why do you reject me, my Alice? I love more than anything, I have never loved anyone….I've never even loved before I met you… I was so cold…my heart was ice yet… with that warm smile…I finally felt some happiness. I want to thank you, show let me show you how much I love you…I'll love you everyday… so tell me what to do win you. I know you love me as a rabbit but it I want you to love as a man too…So what do I do…to get me to love me too?"_

His mind was a jumble of thoughts, strange for a neat and tidy man like himself. Peter's ruby eyes watched the room's ceiling as if waiting an answer. The shuffle of sheets turns the rabbit man's orbs to the second lump in the bed. He lifted the covers to find the small child, now a human with rabbit ears, dozing happily snuggled close to Alice's chest.

"_Natsuki…that was her name I believe."_ His eyes studied the kid, noticing how similar she looked to himself, but she had Alice's smile. That warm, gentle smile that spread across the maiden's face was also on the child's. He found himself smiling at the child.

"_It's because of this child; I was finally able to feel Alice's lips, albeit not next to mine. She might a good luck charm, I need to get Alice closer to me…I guess I have to thank her in some way… "_ He leaned his head closer to the child's and placed a delicate kiss on her forehead. "Thank you and Goodnight now sleep tight," he whispered softly, and he stretched himself over the girl's form to get to his love. "Goodnight my love," and kissed her gently on her temples. He positioned himself on the kid's left side, soon enough he, once again, nodded off.

The little youngster, still deep in sleep, had felt something warm grace her face. The small bunny turned, a tiny hand grab at the pink sleeve of Peter's pajamas. She nuzzled closer to his figure, a small smile on her face, "Pa…pa…"

* * *

"_**KYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" **_

A high-pitched scream shook the castle but no one pondered whom it was who yelled or what had caused it; it was obvious to everyone at the palace.

Alice was mad at Peter, _**again**_.

"What are you doing like that? You promised to stay a rabbit!" she hollered.

"Wait my love, I can explain!" he cried in exasperation.

"NO! I don't want to hear any more of your perverted excuses!" Her rage, building came to its final point when books, pillows, a vase, and any other object Alice could throw, flied across the room, straight at the albino man, who kept bouncing around like a rubber ball trying to avoid the projectiles.

It during this new war in Wonderland did the small rabbit child to wake up in the middle of the battle."Hey what's going on," she mumbled sleepily, rubbing her crimson eyes, "What with all…

_***WHACK!* **_

A large, fluffy ivory pillow whacked against Natsuki's face, a few pale wheat colored feathers flying from one end. It stood there for a second, only to obey gravity and fell in her lap. A few of these fluffs stuck out of the child's mouth.

"Natsuki! I'm sorry, are you okay?" Alice cried and knelt by the bedside.

"Usually, where Suki-chan comes from, people say 'Good morning!' when someone gets up," Natsuki mumbled, her voice hindered by the feathery blockage. "Pe-tooie!" A few feathers blew from the child's mouth and gently drifted down. Alice could not help but giggle at the sight.

"Are you okay, that looked like that had to hurt, I'd say," Peter commented.

"Suki-chan is okay, so it's time to start the day!" the child smiled.

Alice's sea colored orbs scowled at the rabbit man. "Peter this all your fault, it you didn't break your promise, and stayed a rabbi, none of this would have happened!"

"But my darling Alice! I'm sorry!" whined Peter.

"Yeah, Alice-onee-chan! It is not really his fault. We can't stay in our rabbit form when we sleep. Under most situations, it is impossible to keep! I changed back too you see? SO if you're mad at Onii-chan, also be mad at me!" Natsuki protested.

Alice flinched, _"I…I guess its okay. Besides …"_ her turquoise eyes glanced at the small rabbit her carmine eyes big and wide and her head slightly tilted, _"_ _She's so cute and honest, I can't just say to her… even if it means forgiving this pervert…" _she sighed, "Alright, I'll forgive you Peter, but if you even do something like this again, I'll never forgive you!"

_***SLAM***_

The door shut behind the stampeding girl, leaving the two rabbits to themselves. "Thank you Natsuki, you saved me from certain harm. You must be a lucky charm," chuckled Peter as he got up and left to change.

Natsuki's ivory furred ears picked up a sigh coming from the young man. _"Looks like Papa's upset…I bet I can cheer him up!" _She scrambled out of the bed and ran get ready for the day.

* * *

After changing from her nightwear to her every day clothes, Natsuki scanned the castle grounds hoping to find the minister, hoping to lift his spirits. She finally spotted him, sitting one of the benches scattered around the maze. His long ears hanging of his head, his head perched on a gloved hand.

She walked up to the man, "Peter-onii-chan? Is it okay if I sit here?" she asked.

"Oh Natsuki, sure you can sit here," he responded.

She set herself down a few inches away from the man. She swayed her feet back and forth and heard another sigh in a depressing tone. Natsuki twisted her head and asked, "What's wrong Onii-chan? You seem upset. Is it because Alice-onee-chan got mad at you?"

"Yes, that and other things…" his voice trailed off, and he turned his head away from the child, hoping not to show the pitiful expression to the child.

"Um… Onii-chan?" Natsuki's eyes stared at her finger orbiting each other, a light coral pink blush on her face, "Is it because you love Alice-onee-chan right?"

"Yes, I do love Alice. I love her more than _anything_, yet doesn't feel the same. I tell her every day, but she still doesn't love me… I don't know what to do…" he mumbled as a few tears fell from his face, despite the effort he put into hiding how he felt, and despite the fact that his face was in the opposite direction, Natsuki caught a glimpse of a few drops sparkling before they soiled the pristine white glove, turning them ash grey on contact.

The child stared at Peter look that was a mixture of confusion, sadness, compassion, and thought. After a long silence, she opened her mouth to say this:

"Maybe… you're saying I love you… the wrong way."

"**Huh?"**

"Maybe you're saying them too loud or too often. If you say your words too loud then she can hear you, but if you say something quietly she'll have to listen harder to hear you."

"Is that so?" he scuffed; a chuckle came out, thinking he could entertain the child.

"In fact," Natsuki stood up on the seat, her head the same height as Peter's noggin. Her small fingers motioned for the man to come closer, when he had scooted over to the girl, her lips were only a finger apart from his ear. "The softer you talk, the closer she has to get and the more attention she has to pay to you to hear what you say. There's a reason girls like sweet nothings whispered in their ears."

Peter peered at the child, his face that was that in good humor, was now intrigued, _"That makes sense, at that part, I've said those words at the top of my lungs, to tell Alice what's in my heart." _

"I get what you are saying about being loud, but what about telling her all the time. Why shouldn't I tell every time I see her? I thought if you tell someone you love them all the time, they would know how you feel and they'll return your feelings and love you in return."

"Well…um… maybe it depends on certain things. My mama always told me, that the words 'I love you' are magical. They let someone how you feel about them in an instant, but if use those every day, all the time, they lose their magic. Those words are easy to say, so sometimes there is no magic to them. You have to be careful with those words, but you if you wait until special times they have magic than you can believe," the child continued.

"What counts as a special time?" questioned Peter.

"Well, like when you are all alone together, you're holding her hand or maybe you're hugging her. You two are all alone, and you look into her eyes and whisper 'I love you.'" The girl finished as she sighed her head in her hands, a strawberry red flush across her cheeks.

"You seem to know a lot about romance, for a kid."

"That's because," Natsuki voiced dropped to a whisper, "I have someone I love you too."

"Really? Is that so?" the man questioned, using a voice like that you would use for humoring children.

The girl got up from the bench and strolled a few steps away, her fists behind her back, her cardinal eyes gazing at the robin's egg blue sky "I known him for a long time, ever since I was born I guess. He is always kind, generous, and sweet, and nice to everyone, and for the last few years, I have been in love with him. Just like you with Onee-chan, the first thing I do whenever I see him, I hug him and tell him I love him. He gets so embarrassed, and he pushes me away a lot. I guess you and I are stuck n the same position, but its okay. I just know we will get our love some day," she turned around to face the minister once more. She tilted her head to side,"Right?"

Peter smiled warmly at the child, he got up and crouched down, rubbing the child's ivory locks, "thank you, I really feel better."

"Glad to help!" she beamed, and let herself enjoy the feeling of his fingers playing with her hair. As she always did, she always adored spending time with her papa.

* * *

They had been walking for a while now, their hands entwined. "Peter-onii-chan, are we almost there?"

"Yes, look there it is!" His other hand pointed a finger at a gap between the shrub walls, the wide opening showed the forest Alice ran through the other day. Alice stood at the gap, her voice yelling;" Now you guys don't wonder of too far!"

Alice turned to spot the two rabbits and then strode up to the child, putting her arms around the girl, "Natsuki! There you are! I was starting to get worried!"

"Onee-chan there's no need for fear, Onii-chan was always near!" Natsuki cheered, snuggling against Alice's chest.

"Thank you Peter, now it's time for us to leave and get back home," Alice supposed.

"Alice I-" the rabbit man started, then his voice trailed off and then said, "Farewell, my love I hope to see you soon." He turned his back to her and started to stroll away.

"_Huh?"_ the maiden's face twisted in confusion, _"What's wrong with Peter? Usually he says…_

'_Oh Alice, I love you! Please stay with me, dear! I want you to live here!'_

As the foreigner mind pondered the sudden change in her stalker, the minister own thoughts were turned to the woman behind him, _"Alice, I'll wait, I still love you, but maybe if I give you some time, without saying anything ,then maybe you'll finally say those words yourself." _

A small tug caused the man to snap back to reality and stare into the blood red eyes of the small girl, a wide smile on her face. She motioned him to come closer and so Peter lowered his head.

"That was a good job, now here's a present!" Natsuki cheered, and placed her lips on his cheek, when she stepped back she whispered, "Onii-chan I love you! Goodbye!" She dashed off and took the maiden's hand and the two set off for home.

Peter placed his glove on the recently kissed spot on his face, and smiled to himself, "Goodbye, hope see you too!" he called, and continue his stroll back to the palace, a wide beam on his face.

* * *

As the two began walking back, the rabbit child noticed something, how quiet it was just the two of them, "Hey, Onee-chan? Where is everyone else?"

Alice's teeth bit together, her eyes widen in horror, "Oh God! We have to find them!" Her maiden's hand tightened on the girl's and they sped off.

She looked over her shoulder, thinking about the man she left behind. _"I'm sorry Papa. I cannot tell or remember if Alice-onee-chan is Mama or not. She as kind as Mama, but I can't think of anything else. Mama is sort of a blur… if you do not get Onee-chan don't worry, because I know you'll find someone who truly loves you and you'll live happily ever after. I know it because, I've seen it!"_

* * *

Phew! I'm done! This chapter looks less time to think up than some of the others; it is one of those scenes that came up when I was thinking of writing this story.

I know, I know "Natsuki is suddenly rhyming! What's going on?" I just came up with idea while writing this story in my journal where the main ideas for the chapters go then when I type them I spice them up. Yes, I know it is cheesy, but hey what can I say?

Please send some reviews, I want to know if you guys love this story or not!

Natsuki: Please send! Onegai*

Chu- sound of a kiss in Japanese

Onegai- Japanese for please

Hope to see you soon!


	10. Chapter 10 Alice Found the Girls!

Sorry everyone! ***bow bow*** It was the mix of laziness, writer's block, and a bunch of family things that delayed this chapter. But i digress...Merry Christmas! Hope you like this chapter! I don't own anything except the girls.

* * *

Chapter 10 Alice Found the Girls! But What Else did she Find?

The two dashed all around the pink forest, their eyes peering in every direction for the missing girls.

Natsuki spread some green branches to look inside them, when she let the shrub go back to original position, she turned her head and asked "Onee-chan, where did everybody go?"

The maiden started, her eyes staring at the ground at a sideways glance, "Well…"

* * *

_Alice glanced around the entrance of the rose hedges, she let out a sigh of dismay, "Where is Natsuki? I told her that we would be leaving after breakfast."_

_Yumeko piped, "She said something about seeing Peter-nii-san. She promised to meet us here."_

"_Well, let's hope she comes soon," the maiden gyrated, hoping to catch too find a pair of white ears and ruby eyes beneath them, but instead tap on her shoulder, cause the maiden to jump and find two rose red eyes but they were under a mop of fawn brown._

"_Hey there! What are you guys doing?" The youth asked._

"_We are waiting on Suki-chan to come back from talking with Peter-ani," Mamoru explained._

"_Is that so? You know what; I bet you kids haven't been to the Amusement Park! How 'bout we go see it?" Ace suggested, and all the children's eyes seemed to double in size._

"_Really? Can we go, Ane?" pleaded Mamoru._

"_Please, please, please?" Yumeko and Tama asked, pulling at Alice's skirt._

"_Can we?" the last one spoke softly, her voice full of anticipation and hope._

"_Not with Ace, we are not! Knowing we'll end up lost, in a whole different territory or even find ourselves falling off a cliff!" the maiden screamed, then shuddered at the memories of when she was foolish enough to let herself get lost with the knight._

"_That hurts Alice! Stab me through the heart, it would sting less!" Ace mocked gasped and clutched his chest for effect._

"_The truth hurts, doesn't it?" Alice said smugly, her arms across her chest. _

"_Aw come on, Ane? Can we please go?" pleaded Mamoru._

"_Not without me, you guys won't!" Alice scolded, "If you guys leave without me, timeouts for all of you!"_

"_Even me?" Ace asked._

"_You act like a child so you should get some kind of punishment!" Alice fussed._

_Ace lowered his lips towards her ear, "I really hope you give it to me…"_

_*SMACK*_

_The red handprint stung both his face and Alice's hand. _

"_Never say anything like that again to me, especially in front of the kids!" Alice's finger pointed at the three children, each of them looking up in confusion at the older couple._

"_How about we just play hide-and-seek? Would that be okay Alice?"_

"_Can we please?"_

"_All right."_

"_Really?"_

"_Now you guys don't wonder of too far!"_

"_Okay see you! Bye!" The four girls called and _

_The three ran off with the knight as Alice began to converse with the rabbits she had spotted, a devious smile formed on Ace's face. As the kids' hands changed from fist to be laying flat to having only two fingers out, he patted Mamoru's shoulder and pulled her over to his side. The knight whispered in her ear and an identical smile beamed on the brunette girls face. _

"_Okay who wants to go to the Amusement Park?" The man asked, rubbing his hands together._

"_Me!" Mamoru hand shot up in the air._

"_Huh?" The three other girls turned themselves from their game._

"_I thought Nee-san told us not to go anywhere without her."_

"_Don't worry; the Amusement Park is only a hop skip and a jump from here. What could possibly happen?"_

"_Besides Ace-ani is a knight, if anything happens to us, he can protect us!" the brunette used her hand, pointing it at the youth to draw attention to him._

_He took a few steps, and knelt before Yumeko and he took a few delicate fingers, letting them laying them against his ash-grey gloves "Allow me to escort you, Ojou-sama*" and he gently lifted her hand to his lips. A rose red flush bloomed on the small girl's face. _

"_Well…I guess it would be okay…" the grey haired girl stuttered._

"_It doesn't sound too bad…"pondered the ravenette._

_The third one said nothing only turned her head, her azure eyes stared at the castle._

"_So come on let's go!" Ace cheered and dashed off. Mamoru followed pursuit._

"_Hey you guys wait up!" Tama cried out and soon she and Yumeko chased after them._

_Meanwhile, Aoi was as still as a statue, her fist close to lips, her thoughts debating the dilemma. As she turned her head, she spoke, "Um…You guys? I don't Onee-chama will be happy if she finds us gone..." she stopped when she noticed the lack of audience and spotted them, specs to her eyes._

"_Hey! Wait up!" she hollered and ran after them, leaving Alice alone with the rabbits._

* * *

"I should've never listened to him!" Alice roared, as she thrashed a bush harder than she needed. She scanned the area. The missing group could not be found in pink forest around the castle, so they had moved on to the closest territory. The amber and golden leaves and lower temperature told them where they were, and who to probably to expect to meet.

"**OH GOD!** I am never ever turning my back on Ace ever **again!**"

"That what Dad says all the time about my siblings and me, Mom just it would be easier to glue our feet to the floor."

Both the girls squeaked at the new voice that joined them. The rabbit jumped into the maiden's arms, in turn, she held the child tightly. The bushes rustled and shook, the girls held onto each other tighter. As something popped put the two shrieked.

"_**EEEK!"**_

"You guys! Calm down! It's just me!"

The two shivered for a moment, but with curiosity eating at her, Alice peeked one eye opened to find…

"Mamoru! There you are!"

Indeed the small brunette was smiling happily at them, as if nothing was wrong, although a few leaves had found themselves caught in her chestnut locks.

"Where have you been, I was worried about you!" exasperated the foreigner.

"Now you sound like my mom," commented Mamoru, shaking a few bits of foliage from her curls.

"Seriously, where have you been? Where is everyone else, for that matter!"

"Yeah, we were worried, Onee-chan and I! How can you leave without saying goodbye?" implored the small rabbit.

"Well…you see… we started to go to the Amusement Park but Ace-ani kind of got distracted…" the child started when a sudden noise broke her off.

_***BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!***_

On instinct, the girls ducked below the shrubs, Alice opened an eye, "I think I know what he is dealing with."

* * *

"Damn it! Can't you follow a straight path, you stupid knight?" Cursed a man, with bright orange hair and two long ears on top of his head.

"Well, I was heading to the amusement Park, but one of my friends as seem to have runoff," Ace beamed at the carrot topped man but that's only fueled the hare's rage even more.

"Enough your crap, just hold still so I can shoot you!" The brown-eared man exclaimed.

As the sound of shots blasted through the autumn woods, the Knight dodged them easily as if playing a game.

"That's it! I can't take this anymore! Just drop dead!" The man screamed.

**"That's it! Elliot! Ace! Stop it the both of you!" Hollered the maiden.**

Both men turned their heads look at the source of the scream, spotting the foreigner standing in the bushes, along with the two other girls she was with. Across the path, three more heads popped out.

"There you guys are! I was so worried!" she dashed towards the children and the kids ran to Alice, who squeezed when they met in the path.

"We're sorry, Onee-sama! We were just going to play, but Ace-onii-sama got lost, then Elliot-onii-sama found him and got mad and…."

"I can guess the rest, not worry I'm not I'm not mad at you," soothed Alice she turned her head her eyes glaring at Elliott, "I'm mad at you!"

"Well... I... you see... I'm sorry..." the man uttered his ears pressed against his head, a look of shame on his face.

"Ha-Ha! Elliot got scolded!" Ace sang in a singsong voice.

"Shut up!" the hare's face turned beet red, when a look of realization hit him.

"Hey Alice, why don't you bring those kids over for a tea party! As an apology?" Elliot asked with a hopeful voice.

"Really? Please can we go Onee-chan?" pleaded the rabbit, and soon enough Alice was swarming in a sea of "Pleases" and "Can wes" and several little hands tugging at her sky blue skirt.

"Alright, Alright! We'll go to the party, okay?" Alice grinned.

"Yahoo! Yeah!" The girls cheered and practically started pulling her in the direction of the mansion.

"Hey, can I come too?" the knight asked, a finger pointing to childish, innocent look on his face.

"Hey! I invited Alice and her friends, not you stupid knight!" Elliot growled.

"Hey come on!" Ace whined jokingly.

As the argument continued, Alice turned to Mamoru and asked, "Even in your times, do they act like this?"

She responded, "No, sometimes they fight."

_***RUSTLE RUSTLE***_

The sound caused Alice to turn her head, and spot something that caused her marine orbs to widen.

"Hey, Natsuki can you watch the kids?" She requested and the rabbit child and the small girl looked up.

"Okay, but what about them?" Natsuki pointed to the two men still quarrelling.

"That's what I said, watch the kids," she said flatly. Both the men turned their heads.

"Alice!" the both moaned, one full of humor the other full of shock.

"If you act like children, then you are children, "Alice retorted and she strolls away, in hopes of finding the peculiar object again.

"Where is she going?" the hare thought aloud.

"Hey, Elliot-onii-chan can we please go get some tea? You don't know how happy we will be," Natsuki asked.

"Alright, let's get going," he gasped and started to walk away to his home.

"Can I come too?" Ace asked one more.

"_**NO WAY!"**_

* * *

Alice wandered through the leaves of flame and gold, her irises scanning the woods for the object, although what the object was remained a mystery.

"_If the way things have been going on, I think that maybe…"_

_***TWANG TWANG***_

"**OW! YOU LITTLE BRATS!" **an angry child's voice bellowed.

"We're sowry…" two small voices simultaneously stated.

Alice turned her head to the voices, and found them behind a bushel of leaves. She shifted through the foliage, and what she say made her eyes grow twice in size and her throat without a voice.

* * *

How did you like that? It's just a filler chapter i know but at least its something. I promise i will give a way better chapter next time!

*Ojou-sama means my lady

See y'all later!


	11. Chapter 11 Two Hats are Better than One!

Sorry with the delay! Please feel free to hit me, in fact i'll do it my self ***_BONK_***

Ow! Now where was I?

Oh yes! I don't anything besides my girls!

Now i'll shut up.

* * *

Chapter 11 Meeting the Hatter Family's Daughters! Two Hats are Better than One!

_Previously on Daisuki Papa! _

_Alice turned her head to the voices, and found them behind a bushel of leaves. She shifted through the foliage, and what she say made her eyes grow twice in size and her throat without a voice. _

"_I should have been expecting this, but still…it's a shock…"_

Before her, just beyond a barrier of shrubs, was a group of small girls, some very _familiar looking_ girls. One girl seems the quarreling with two others while there was a fourth girl who shook her head in dismay.

The first one Alice noticed had two long brown ears, one slightly bent and the other stood straight up. Her ear sprung from a mass of orange curls. Beneath that, a pair of amethyst eyes scowled in anger. A lilac handkerchief tied around her neck. A black jacket covered a lavender blouse and a short black skirt covered half her thighs. A pair of clunky brown boots covered her feet.

The two who were being scowled were mirror images of each other, having dark hair on their heads, each having a ribbon, wearing striped dresses and buckled shoes. Both had a patch of a heart, spade, clover, and diamond over a pocket. The one on the left had it on her left side and the other had it on her right side. However, something was off with the mirror, for the two girls had contrasting colors. The one on the left dressed in red. Everything from the bow in her dark locks to the toe of her boot was either a bright red or a darker shade, almost like blood. Even her pupils were the bright shade of clarent red. The other girl had only blue on. Blue bow, blue dress, blue shoes, even blue eyes, almost everything was that shade of marine.

The final girl had dark locks, just like the reflections, yet she differed greatly. Her hair grew in wild yet somehow elegant curls that flowed behind her back. She wore a snow-white shirt and same colored skit, at the end, a pattern of suits of cards, a heart, spade, clover, diamond, followed each other. A bright purple bow, in the center there was a violet rose, sat on her chest. There was a small black bowler, a red rose, a card with the symbol 10/6 on it and a blood red sash going around the hat, sitting on the brim happily.

"_Three guesses, who they are," _Alice's mind chuckled. She had been staring at them for what felt like hours. She knew they would make contact eventually, but for now, she stood and watched the girls continued their quarrel.

"What's going now?" Asked the girl in the hat, a look of annoyance on her face.

"They shot me with those stupid toys!" exclaimed the hare. She turned her back to the hat girl, showing two sticks with suction cups, on her back.

"We didn't do it on purpose!" cried the kid in red.

"You were in our way!" shouted the child in blue.

"Yeah right!" retorted the brown eared girl.

"If we were aiming at you…" started the cherry child.

"We would at shot your head!" finished the blueberry girl.

"**I'M GONNNA GET YOU TWO!"** the rabbit chased after the two look-a-likes.

"You guys never quit do you?" asked the ravenette child.

After chasing them in a circle the hare finally caught the girls and knocked their heads together.

"Ow!" the girl in ruby moaned.

"That hurt!" the child in aquamarine whine.

Alice couldn't help herself, they were just like their fathers! She found herself in a fit of giggles, just loud enough for the children to hear.

"Hey, who are you? This is private property!" called the carrot top.

"I'm sorry," Alice chuckled, "I'm not intruding, Blood lets me come here all the time."

"Blood? Excuse me, but how do you know my father?" the young black haired girl with the hat asked.

"I know him, he's my friend. I've been invited quite a few tea parties," the maiden commented.

"Strange, I've never seen you. And any friend of my father is a friend of mine. I know all of Father's friends, but I don't know you," commented the noirette.

"That's because you girls haven't been born yet," Alice answered.

"_**HUH!" **_

The small ravenette cleared her throat and spoke in a tone full of anger and confusion, "Pardon me, _**miss **_but I assure you that we have been born or else," she turned around in a small circle, "we wouldn't be here."

"Yeah!" cried the girl in red.

"She's right!" hollered the female in blue.

"That's true, but I meant was, in this time you haven't been born yet. You girls are in the past, so to speak, because the Mafia Roleholders I know of are not married and they definitely do not have any kids yet," explained the maiden.

An eerie silence followed, Alice wasn't quite sure what to say. To be honest, neither did the girls. For what felt like a millennium, the small girls processed this news.

"Hey, does that mean we are all alone? That does that mean no one loves us?" the small hare's voice broke the silence, a voice filled with despair

Alice gently smiled and shook her head, "Of course not, I like you guys, and I don't even know your names," she knelt down and began to pet the child's soft ears, "I know I may be a stranger to you girls, but I know Natsuki, Aoi, and a few other friends of yours. They are currently at a tea party with your future fathers, which I was invited to, but now I believe I am late. How about you guys come along with me and we can eat some snacks and drink some tea and have a little fun? I promise you, I'll take care of all of you, until you can get back home, okay?"

For a minute, the spotlight was Alice. She was an actress, in her first play, hoping for an applause from her audience. The small dark-haired child took a few steps closer to her, her marine eyes studying the maiden. She finally broke the silence and opened her mouth.

"You said you were going to take care of us?" the Hatter's child asked.

"Yes," the foreigner replied.

"You promise?" the child questioned.

"I just did," the young woman stated.

As Alice mind boggled over the words she had heard, the noirette lifted her hand up, a fist except a pinky sticking out.

"Promise me you'll take care of my friends and me. As a mafia boss' daughter, I can easily tell my father that you've been mean to me and he won't take it lightly and I know my friends' fathers wouldn't be please as well. I want to know if you really mean what you said," the small girl continued to look at the maiden.

She smiled softly and entwined the small finger with her larger one, "Don't worry, I promise. I know how mad the Roleholders get, so I promise I'll take care of everyone."

The noirette nodded and said, "Well, now that's been taken care of. My name is Akahana Dupre; I hope we can be good friends."

"Well it's nice to meet you, Akahana," Alice replied.

"The name's Amai March, and any friend of Blood-ani-chan is a friend of mine too," the hare cheered.

Suddenly Alice felt a sudden weight on her legs and found the two look a likes on her bottom half.

"We like you too, Ali-nee! My name is Tweedle Takara!" cheered the girl in red.

"My name is Tweedle Fumiko!" cried the girl in blue.

"Nice to meet you!" they said together.

"It is nice to meet you both, say are you two twins?" the maiden asked.

"No, we're cousins, but our pop-chans are twins, and since we look a lot like them, people tend to think that we are too," explained Takara.

"That makes sense," Alice commented.

"Now Alice-aneue, what were you saying about a tea party?" Akahana questioned.

"That's right; we are going to be late! We better hurry!" Alice exclaimed.

"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Takara yelled.

"That will be the stupid hare!" Fumiko hollered.

"_**What! Get back here you runts!" **_screamed Amai and another chase ensued.

"So noisy…." The noirette sighed and casually strolled towards the mansion. Her light blue eyes stared at the maiden.

"_If this is the past then things are different, right?" _pondered the child,_ "Father isn't the same man I know. And Mother…what is Mother like now…She's a really nice…just like Alice…I wonder if…"_

"Oi* Hana-chan if you keep stalling then all the tea will be cold!" called Alice.

"I'm coming!" Akahana dashed after her friends, hoping to catch up.

* * *

After about twenty minutes, they reached the mansion, and after another twenty minutes of reunion, eleven being Natsuki clomping onto her friends. Finally, following the introduction between all the Roleholders and the girls, the tea party began. It seemed the party seemed to be in full swing. Most the children were busy with sweets, while Akahana sipped at the black tea served.

"Stop eating so much cake, you are going to get cavities," scolded Alice.

"You sound like my Kaa-san," the hare child grunted.

"Come on Alice lighten up a little, it's a party!" the older male hare said.

"Shut up stupid hare!" Dee said.

"Yeah! Be quiet idiot rabbit!" his twin stated.

"Stop it! You brats! I'm not a rabbit!"

"Yes you are!" shouted Takara.

"She's right!" agreed Fumiko.

"First the two runts, now there's more of them," Elliot grunted.

"You know, I've been thinking…maybe they are not rabbits at all… maybe… they're pigs!" cried the Tweedle girl in red.

"_**HUH?" **_the hares

"I get it!" the Tweedle girl in blue place her fist on an open palm, "Since they are both always stuffing their faces, they have to be pigs!"

"That's a good one! Why didn't we think of that one, brother?" Dee asked.

"I don't know, but we've got to keep them around, right brother?" his brother replied.

"Alright!" the girls high-fived.

"_**OI, WHO ARE YOU CALLING PIGS?" **_raved the two hares.

"_**YOU TWO, CHICKENS-PIGS!"**_ the four look-a-likes hollered, mischievous grins on their faces.

Soon enough, the race was on. The Tweedles were in the lead, followed by the Marches, finally, up the rear, Alice trailed behind, arms reached out for the people in front of her.

As the chase continued, the other girls began to throw coins in the center of the center, on an ivory china plate with a few crumbs on it. A nice little pile had accumulated in a few seconds.

"Ten Quin* says that the hares clobbers them," said the brunette.

"Oh yeah? Five Quin says the twins get them in one of their holes," said the girl with gray curls, smugly.

"Fifteen Quin says Onee-chan will smack them all," the rabbit child boasted.

As the arguments grew louder, so did the headache in Akahana's head. _"I can't compare them, I just don't know what is worse, the constant noise or…"_

Her marine eye winced at the sight, at the _color_. She was used it, but usually it was far away from her, along with the noise, at the end of the table. Although the table she knew was, longer but still have it so close to her. She did not care if her mother scolded her constantly for it, but she could not help it.

No matter what, in any form…

Akahana Dupre _**loathed **_carrots.

And she thought her father would agree with her.

"_I can't believe Father would allow this… this… junk at the table! What is he thinking? Is it possible that my Father is insane now?"_

She darted her eyes towards the mafia boss to her right. She studied him, trying to figure out what was going on underneath that top hat, until she noticed something underneath the hat itself. His face was also in pain, his light blue eyes grimacing at something. She followed his gaze to an object.

The same object she despised.

"_Phew! Father is still Father! Well. At least something stays the same…" _her head, sighed, her father just seemed so distant now, just where was that warm smile she'd since the day she was born?

Then she recalled something that the man would do, a secret that always made her laugh and it usually worked. It would only take a second, but it usually worked. _Usually._

* * *

Blood Dupre sighed, he didn't what was worse, the numerous carrot dishes, or the usual noise that he was used to had been increased. There was something interesting at the table; he stared at the middle of the table. The little girls, the ones that were racing around the table, ones that were stacking coins and laughing at the others, the last just sipping her tea quietly.

Each girl looked just like one of the Roleholders, even the child to his right bore a strange resemblance to…well himself.

"_Strange kids…I wonder if Alice knows anything about them…"_

"**WHOOSH!"**

Blood suddenly felt something lift off his head he turned to see both his hat and a smaller, rounder one, jump over an oversized hedge.

"Look what the wind did to my hat!" Akahana cried in fake surprise, "How about we go look for them okay?"

Before he could respond, her hand grabbed his and she dragged him from his spot to behind the shrubbery.

"You look that way," her hand became an arrow towards the left, "While I look over there." The arrow turned completely around.

Before he could even utter a word, the child dashed off. He sighed, and strolled around looking for the usual sight on his head.

"_Pushy little brat! Just what is going through that kid's mind?" _ He asked himself as he scanned the area; he stooped when he saw a small bowler hanging on a branch. He walked over and picked it off. He studied it for a minute, admiring it a little, when something rammed against his leg. He looked down to find a small girls body, but where a head should be, instead was a dark top hat. _His_ top hat.

"Okay little one, Thank you for finding my hat." the boss' tone full was of forced humor, "Now, take it off."

The hat turned from side to side.

"Please little lady. Give me my hat back."

The hat swayed once more.

"Okay, that's enough kid, now give me my hat." He was not amused.

The hat slowly slid off, and the small head of ebony curls tilted down. Her delicate hands lifted the hat up, and he took it back. Akahana's small boot began to make small circles on the ground. She turned her back on the man, her hands clenching each other, pressing them close to her back.

"I'm sorry…" a soft whimper drifted in the wind.

"Excuse me?" the look on Blood's face made it easy to know how he felt. Confusion and curiosity.

"I was trying to make you smile; I thought if I was able to get you away from all those horrible dishes and all the noise, you'd feel better. So, threw my hat, but it your hat as well, but I thought that would give you a better excuse to leave. I found your hat, but it was caught on a branch. I was able to get it free, yet it got stuck and …" The words were broken by the sound of a sniffling child.

The man sighed and gently touched the curls, "I must apologize for my behavior. The next time you save me, try to warn me next time. Thank you so much, young lady," he gently lifted a hand to his lips.

"Excuse me, but I'm spoken for and I don't go out with old men," the child huffed.

"_O…Old..." _the reason of rejection suddenly made the autumn air as cold as winter around the Mad Hatter. Though he quickly warmed up, when the little hand he kissed held his own hand.

"Although I don't usual like older men like that, I do like to be your friend," Akahana smiled.

He returned the grin, "It would be an honor to a friend of yours, young lady."

The noirette's lips turned into a pout, "Stop calling me 'lady' and 'little one', I have a proper name it's Akahana. Akahana-" the child stopped herself. Blood gave the intrigued look.

"Akahana?" he asked, curiosity glazed his voice.

"Just Akahana, and don't you forget it," the child commanded.

"Alright, Akahana." He replied.

Alice dashed through the caramel and ginger leaves. After smacking the quarreling factions of Hatters, she decided it was time to get back to Clover Tower. She noticed that she was missing a certain ravenette; she had been too busy chasing the rampaging rabbits and the troublesome twins to notice.

She finally spotted the girl and noticed her company, more over the smiles on their faces.

"_So he can smile like that," _she mused to herself.

"Akahana, it's time to go home," she called.

Raven curls swirled around and peach lips pouted once more, "What, so soon?" a whine came out of her mouth.

"It's getting late so come on, we're going home," Alice called.

"Well, looks like this is farewell," Blood commented.

"I suppose it is," Akahana sighed, and then she turned around sticking out her finger, "Promise me."

"Pardon?"

"I want you to promise me, that the next I come over, we can have our tea quietly and none of those atrocious desserts on the table," the child explained.

His eyes shifted to at the tiny pinky in front of him, back to the little child, finally to the finger. He sighed. What could he do? He gently wrapped his gloved finger around hers.

"It's a promise."

"Yes! I'll see you later!"

And with that she dashed off, finally catching up the foreigner. Leaving the mafia boss alone with his thoughts.

_"A very interesting girl," he chuckled, "A very interesting girl indeed."_

* * *

Akahana- Red rose or red flower. Since Blood has roses, i thought why not. I planned on using this one in the beginning, but thanks CandyXdaXNeko-chan for it any way!

Amai-Sweet. Elliot eats a lot of carrot sweets so used this on. Lover-chan gave the idea. Daisuki Lover-chan! Please more of her stories.

Takara-treasure. Fumiko- treasured beauty. The twins call their weapons treasures so i thought that they would treasure their daughters as well. Another one of Candy-chan's suggestions.

*Oi-means hey or what

*Quin- my made up currency of Wonderland. Named after the wonderful people who created this beautiful series, Quinrose


	12. Chapter 12 One Weird Nursery Rhyme!

Sorry for making you wait! School sucks! Period. I hope you guys can forgive me! This is probably my longest chapter (not the amount of words though….) it took up 11 pages in Microsoft Word… Now please enjoy this Chapter! I Don't own anything! By the way, can you guys guess what nursery rhyme the Chapter eludes to?

* * *

Daisuki Papa Chapter 12 One Weird Nursery Rhyme! Little Gal in Yellow Blow your Horn! The Cat is in a Tree! The Mouse is Right there with Her!

"Got any threes?" Tama asked the dark haired girl dressed in red

"Go Fish!" she replied.

"Oi you two runts, better not be cheating!" the hare child growled.

"We're not!" they both cried in unison.

Alice beamed, watching the kids as they continued their quarrelling, laughing, and game. Things calmed down the last couple of days, the girls seemed to be fitting in. How could they not? They were the _Roleholders _children after all. They all were so cute and happy together. Alice caught herself, for at least the hundredth time, checking her pockets. But…for what?

"_Just what do I keep looking for, I think it must have been something to carry with me…" _as her mind pondered, she let go on to another thought that she had been avoiding. One that swamped her mind with questions.

"_Who are the girls' mothers?"_

"_I mean, I know that they're foreigners, but that doesn't help. In fact, I think that makes them even more mysterious. I mean, since they are from my world. Were they kidnapped? No, I don't think __**all**__ of the guys would go pick up girls and drag them holes. However, does that mean they came to Wonderland of their own free will? How did they get here? Falling down a hole like I did, or is there another way to get here? Moreover, what are they like? Their physical appearance seems to have vanished from the girls' minds and all I have been told are only pieces to a puzzle but with no box top to help me. Just…who are their mothers?_

"Onee-chan? _Onee-chan. _**Onee-chan!**" the words snapped Alice out of her daze and in eye lock with a pair of fire red eyes, a tint of anger stoking the flames.

"What's wrong, Natsuki?" the maiden questioned noticing the anger in the rabbit's eyes.

"Onee-chan! You promise to take us to the Amusement Park!" the rabbit child whined, "Oi, everyone! Who wants to go to the Amusement with Onee-chan and me?"

"No thanks, I'm having too much fun, kicking everyone's but!" Mamoru beamed as she set aside two cards.

"Well, you won't be for long!" commented Amai, "Got any sixes?"

"Go fish!" The brunette beamed. A scowl formed on the little hare's face and she took another card from a stack on the corner of the table.

"Doesn't anyone want to go with us?" the albino child began to pout.

"We'll go with you two," a young voice replied.

They turned to find Aoi and Akahana, both with happy smiles on their faces.

"Wait…_you_ _two _are going to the Amusement Park?" Alice asked her voice full of shock.

"Yes…children go amusement parks even in Wonderland," the noirette commented in a voice full of mockery.

"Hey, I know that!" the maiden retorted, "It's just that…your fathers…"

"**Hey! We won!"** a unison of two voice called out.

"**Hold it right there! That's a six and a nine!" **shouted the hare child.

"**WHOOPS!"**

As the normal argument between the three mafia children broke out, Alice felt something tug her away from the scene. She looked downto found the noirette child staring up at her.

"I believe that this maybe a good time to leave," suggested Akahana.

"I'm greatly agree with you, let's go," the maiden commented.

The four girls ran out, a smile of relief on their faces.

* * *

The leaf had dyed themselves from the older, dull ivory white color to a young, vibrant emerald green shade as the girls strolled down the path. There was laughter and giggles ringing in the breeze. They mostly stopped when one female's complains began:

"_It's too hot!"_

"Well, Hana-chan the Amusement Park is in the middle of the summer right now, so of course it will be hot," the Clockmaster's daughter sighed.

Yet the words did not extinguish the mafia child voice, in fact, it made the flames go higher.

"Aneue, it is too hot! Can you please carry me?" the Hatter's kid whined.

"Hey Hana-chan, you can't just boss Onee-chan around!" The Rabbit's child scolded.

"Aneue carried you around once," retorted the noirette, "Besides, I think I might die of a heat stroke, it's blazing out here." She placed a hand on her forehead, and gave an exaggerated sigh.

Alice chuckled to herself and shook her head, "Now we can't have anyone fainting around here, can we?" She knelt down and spread her arms wide, "Come here."

A wide smile spread across Akahana's face and the child ambled towards her and happily wrapped her arms around the older woman.

"Thank you Aneue, I love you!" she cheered as she snuggled close to Alice's frame.

"I love Onee-chan too!" cried Natsuki as she clomped at Alice's skirt.

"Aoi too! Aoi-chan loves Onee-chama too!" Aoi exclaimed the other half of the maiden's dress was bundled in her arms.

"But Aneue loves me the most right?" the girl in the foreigner's arms asked.

"Well…" Alice started.

"No, Onee-chan loves me the most!"

"Onee-chama loves me the most!"

"Hey come on, I love you all the same, so stop it!" the maiden yelled, snapping attention to herself.

"The same?" the three children simultaneously asked.

"Yes, I love you all the same, so with that can we get going back to the park?" Alice's voice sounded more callous and cold then want she wanted.

The silence spoke for itself. The children turned their heads away, not wanting to look into the woman's turquoise eyes.

"Onee-chan…we're sorry…we just wanted you… to know…that we love you…and that you…love us. We miss our families…we don't know…when we will…see them again…" the rabbit stuttered, her ears slowly reaching towards the ground.

Alice felt the sky fabric she wore shift and she looked down at the child in her arms. An inch of blue cloth clenched in her small hand. The cobalt blue haired child raised her sleeve up to her eyes.

"I understand… I know you girls miss your families, but don't worry. Until the day comes, when you finally can go back to your fathers and mothers, I promise to care for and love you, no matter what," this time Alice's voice was warm and gentle, just the kind of voice she wanted to use with these girls.

The beating of her own heart and the whispers of a breeze filled the maiden's ears. She continued to wait for a response. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long.

"Onee-chan…I love you!" the rabbit squealed as she clomped on foreigner.

"Me too!" cheered the noirette as she hugged the young woman's neck.

"I love you too!" the last girl wrapped around the woman's waist.

"Yeah…I love you all too…" Alice smiled.

* * *

The distant sound of heavy machinery and screams started to grow less distant, as the view of a golden arch came closer. The girls continued to walk, Akahana still in Alice's arms, when Natsuki suddenly came to a halt.

"What's wrong Suki-chan?" asked Aoi.

"Does anyone else hear that?" asked the rabbit, as she raised an ear and lifted another.

For a few moments, an awkward silence followed. The three human girls tried to hear what a girl with rabbit ears could hear easily. They were about to give up, when a faint sound graced the breeze. The sound, more like a tune, coming from somewhere in the sunny season.

"That's…" the maiden started, trying to place the composer of the sound.

"Uta-chan!" cried the three children, and soon they all took off in the same direction. The noirette in the foreigner's arms seemed to fly out of them as she chased along with her friends.

"Hey wait up!" called Alice, and she chased after the girls.

As the girls bolted across the woods, the three younger ones had smiles all across their faces.

Alice pondered, _"What could make those girls just run off like that?"_

After a few seconds of marathon qualified sprinting, she found the answer.

In the middle of a clearing, a small child stood, something gold shining so brightly, it nearly blinded the maiden. From what she could tell from the gaps in her hands, Alice could tell from that she had a bright red colored hair and her lips were on the polished object.

"Uta-chan!" Natsuki cried.

The red head's lips lifted off the item, and they turned into the smile.

"Min'na!*" the unknown child cried, the thing in her hand seemed to automatically vanish. She dashed arms out wide. When the two clashed, they both instantly clung onto each other.

"We missed you!" the noirette cried as she clung onto the unfamiliar child.

"I missed you guys more! Where have you been? Everyone is missing you too!" the ginger haired girl said.

"Well, that's a long story…" Aoi stated.

Natsuki squeezed to other girl more then opened her eyes to the foreigner.

"Oh that's right!" She let go of her friend and stood beside her, then raised her hand towards her like showing her off. "This is my friend, Utako Gowland. Uta-chan, this is our friend Alice Liddell, she's taking care of us."

"How do you do ma'am. Thanks for taking care of my friends," Utako replied.

"Gowland as in Mary Gowland? You're his daughter?" asked Alice as she began to study the girl.

She definitely _looked_ like she was Gowland's daughter. Her flame red hair in two braids, lying slightly past her shoulder blades, each tied by a sunflower yellow ribbon. Her marine eyes shone with joy. A light daffodil t-shirt with a the light pattern of a musical staff on the sleeves, matching skirt a few inches short of her knees , on its fringe another piece of music paraded on the end, slightly below her knees, a yellow pair of long boots stood tall with two lines of blue diamonds on each side. On a delicate wrist a golden bracelet with some kind of charm on it, looking similar to the object she held before. With these characteristics, it seemed to be obvious who her father was.

"Yep! He is my Otou-san! How did you know him?" asked the ginger haired girl.

"He's my friend, I visit him all the time," Alice replied.

"Hmm? I haven't seen you there before… Have I?" the child pondered, placing her hand on her chin, as if that gesture would help her remember.

"Well Utako…that's a long story…" Alice started and she continued talking about the girls' present situation

"So, I won't see Otou-san and Okaa-san again?" Utako wondered her once lively voice became solemn.

"Of course you will!" Natsuki took her friend's hand inside her own, " You can see your Papa in the Amusement Park any time you want, and I'm positive we'll can get back to our mamas soon, so until then Alice-Onee-chan will be there for us and you will be with friends," she gave a little squeeze for comfort.

"With friends…" the gal in yellow repeated softly, and then she rubbed her eyes with one of her sleeves. "Thank you…" she turned to the maiden, "Especially you, Onee-san!" Then the little child jumped up into the maiden's arms and rubbed her plump apple cheek next to the older woman's smooth cream one.

"You're welcome!" Alice said her voice full of cheer and happiness.

* * *

"Hey Utako, how did you get separated from your parents?" asked the outsider as she looked at the red head who had her hand inside the maiden's hand, swing them both happily.

"Well you see…" the girl started.

"_**HELP ME!" **_

The girls all came to a halt, like a train after the screech of its wheels. Their heads shook around the woods.

"What was that?" the maiden asked as she continued to swing her head, straining to find the source of the scream.

"My friend, who I was looking for, well one of them…" Utako stopped as her eyes stared at the summer treetops, "and I believe I have found her."

Alice followed the child's gaze, staring at the tree closet to the group. At first, the blinding light from the gaps in the foliage caused her hands to cover her orbs on instinct. She shifted her position, her eyes still trying to spot whatever had caught the red head's attention, along with her friend. The surroundings grew darker, signaling to her fingers that it was safe. Her fist lowered themselves, her eyes finally able to get a clear view of the tree. She scanned the branches, when an object caught her like a fly in a spider web.

Something brown, smooth, contracted with the cracks of the branches. It sagged in a curve, whiles the surrounding twigs, was either zigzag or straight.

"Hello!" Alice called.

Immediately, the thing swiftly pulled itself up, almost in a blink of an eye. It was replaced by something else, something rust colored with a strand of bright yellow.

**"Mi-chan!"** Utako yelled.

**"Uta-chan!"** a little voice hollered back.

"Mi-chan, what are you doing up there?" the girl with braids asked.

"I was trying to help Tora-chan down, but before I realized it, I got up too high," the child explained.

"Don't worry," Alice called, "Just go down slowly, and if anything happens I'll catch you."

"Who is that?" the kid in the tree questioned.

"A new friend of ours," commented Natsuki, "She's nice! Don't worry, we are right here!"

"O…Okay…" the little girl mumbled, then she crawled towards the tree bark, and clumped on to the tree bark.

Even though she was in clear view, the child was shadowed, so her looks continued to elude the maiden.

"_Mi-chan, eh? She must be another Roleholder's daughter…I wonder whose child she is…I just met Gowland's child so maybe she's…"_

_**KYAAH!**_

The scream threw Alice's train of thought off track. She looked up and spotted the girl, just a few feet above the maiden's head.

"What's wrong?" the outsider inquired.

"I…I can't climb anymore, I'm…too scared…" the mysterious kid whimpered.

"Don't worry its okay. Why don't you jump?" Alice assured, her voice warm and kind.

"What?" the child asked.

"It's okay, just jump. I'll catch you," the woman stated.

The girl hesitated for a minute, looking over her shoulder. Alice studied her for a minute, but the cover of the canopy, still made it difficult to tell what she looked like.

"Okay, I'll…do it, but you have to catch me!" the child stuttered.

"I promise!" the foreigner said.

With a quick inhale and shutting her eyes, the girl let go of the bark. For a few seconds, she sunk down in the warm breeze. The maiden quickly grabbed the child, wrapping her arms around her small frame. The girl clenched on the light blue fabric, her eyelids fluttered.

Alice finally got a good look at the girl. It was her hair, the rust locks with a strand of gold on her bangs. It was then when she noticed two chestnut brown, round ears, one on each side of her head. Her eyes, deep green like emeralds, slightly glassy from the tears. Her blouse was a light yellow, covered by a shamrock green jacket and a knee length mint green skirt. There was a mahogany brown belt with a large buckle, around her middle. Two brown shoes with buckles were on their feet. She also had a furry, mocha colored tail sticking out from somewhere from the back of the skirt. A pear green ribbon placed itself slightly over the left ear.

Suddenly, those jungle leaf colored eyes suddenly became glassy. She let out a few sniffs and then clumped tightly to the maiden's chest.

"Th...Thank you…O… Onee-tan*," the child sobbed, "Mi…Mi-chan was really scared."

"Don't worry, I'm right here," Alice, said in soothing voice, as if she was comforting her after a bad dream.

The girl snuggled against her chest, a few more held back sobs escaping her lips. The maiden began to stroke the kid's hair. Soon enough, the sniffling stopped and she began to breathe slower; a sigh was let out of her lips.

"Mi-chan!" Natsuki cried.

The girl stopped cuddling the outsider's chest; she looked up from the sky blue fabric. "Suki-chan!" she cried out.

Immediately, she leapt out of Alice's arms and soared, right into the rabbit child's arms. A big beam spread across both faces. Natsuki wrapped her arms around her friend, lifting her off the ground, the kid's tiny feet below the rabbit's knees.

"Mi-chan! Is it really you? Suki-chan missed you!" the small albino girl whined, as she pressed her cheek against her smaller girl's face.

"Mi-chan missed Suki-chan too!" the small green clad girl cried, rubbing her plump cheek against the rabbit's own.

Utako glanced at the child, then to Alice, a beam on her face, her hand swayed towards the child, her voice filled with merry "Onee-san, this is Midori Villiers," her words soon dropped to a soothing tone, "Mi-chan, this is Alice Liddell, she's a new friend of ours ."

She let go of Natsuki, her feet on the ground. She turned towards the maiden, "Thank you so much Onee-tan!" The girl hugged Alice again.

"_She's so cute!" _Alice's mind squealed as her cheek was caressed by the mouse's own.

"Well, that's one down," the red head, "Oi, Tora-chan come on down."

Everyone twisted their heads, looking up at the limb, which Midori had sat on only a few minutes ago. There was another figure, slightly larger than the mouse. Her features were more easily seen, considering she was not hiding, instead she casually lay down, and something hung from the branch, often twitching from side to side.

"Come on, Tora-chan get down!" Utako hollered, her finger now pointed to the ground, but little response was heard. The girl in the tree just turned, revealing two triangles on top of her head.

"Forget it Uta-chan, she's asleep. And when Tora-chan is out, she's out," Midori stated bluntly, taking her face off Alice's, to look at her friend.

"That's Tora-chan for you, she can fall asleep anywhere," Akahana put her two cents in.

"Looks like there's no helping it…" Utako started, shifting her sleeve down. She tugged at the shining charm, and soon enough the simple luster became like the sun, almost blinding everyone, causing them to shield their eyes with their hands. When they lowered the, a shining trumpet laid her hand, three small fingers on the three small valves.

"_**WOW!"**_ Alice cried her marine eyes and face conveying amazement and shock. "How did you do that?"

"It's a trick my Otou-san taught me," the girl with braids replied.

"Hey, can you guys do stuff like that?" the maiden motioned her free hands towards the instrument.

"Yeah, it's easy," Aoi, stated.

"_I guess it's natural, since they are the Roleholders' children," _Alice pondered.

"Well, let's get started," the little girl, said, then she took a great breath. Utako pressed her peach lips to the end of the horn and a loud note came out, the valves soon began bobbing up and down, a fast melody following afterwards. The tune reminded Alice of wartime movies she had watched back in her world.

"_**NYAA~~!*" **_the child in the tree jumped up, then she fell down, the girl nearly fell below the branch, but she quickly clumped onto the bark, clinging for dear life. The hanging object turned out to be handing from her backside. She quickly scrambled up, back to the top of the limb.

"_**Yeash! Uta-chan! Do you always have to keep blowing that horn…" **_the girl's voice faded off, as she stared down at the small crowd, particularly the tallest member. "Hey who's that?" her finger pointed towards a certain someone.

"Come down here and take a better look," Utako called.

The child, high above the others, began a series of aerobatics, swinging from branch to branch with flips that would rival an acrobat. The girl stopped at a branch a few feet away from the girls. Beams of sunlight creaked in from the cracks in the canopy; the figure of the girl was better illuminated than Midori was, so it was obvious who she was.

The most obvious feature to tell who she was. The two furry fuchsia pink feline ears, along with the matching tail, a small cute violet ribbon, a golden bell in its center, made it obvious who she was. She wore a light coal tank top with dark black shorts. Striped jet and magenta socks wrapped around her slim legs, a fuzzy scarf wrapped around her small neck. A pair of ebony, fingerless gloves settled on her hands. Two pairs of gold circles hanged in her ears. She wore small raven shoes with hot pink laces. Only a blind person couldn't tell who she was.

"Heya, so who are you Aneki?" the feline female asked.

"My name is Alice Liddell, what's yours?" Alice introduced.

"Name is Tora Airay, nice to meet'cha," the girl declared.

"Tora-chan, why were you up there?" Utako questioned.

"Well, I was chasing Mi-chan, when everything went really dark, and we started falling down. When the lights came back on, everything had changed. I decided to climb the tree to see where we were. I told that stupid rat to stay down, but she wouldn't listen. She insisted on coming up to help. Fat lot of good it did, she took forever to get up!" Tora replied in a fed up tone.

"H…Hey!" the mouse child stuttered, "I tried to help, but when I finally got up there you fell asleep. I finally found the Amusement Park, but you were asleep. I tried to wake you, but you were out like a light. I got really scared…" Her ear pressed against her head, those emerald eyes once more glassy.

"Now, now both of you stop it," Alice lightly scolded the two girls and took a heavy sigh, "I have a lot of explaining to do…"

* * *

"_**EEEEHHH! I WON"T BE ABLE TO SEE KAA-CHAN AGAIN?"**_ Midori screamed.

"Yeah…" the maiden grumbled, her head sagging. For the last few days, she had performed this monologue, and every time she really she hated her audience's response. Young eyes full of tears and words of sorrow.

"Hey…don't worry Mi-chan… we'll be okay…" even though she tried to be upbeat, Tora's words came out of a tragedy, her ears hung low, and even her tail dragged on the ground.

Alice smiled gently, taking a few steps towards the depressed child, using her free hand to rub the child's cotton candy colored hair. "Now come on now, no more tears, okay? I promise I'll take good care of you, _all of you_, " she looked over her shoulder, to the rest of her public, "You don't have worry anymore, I'm right here, and I will always be."

The little cat bowed her head, big tears now spilling from her eyes. She quickly clomped onto the maiden, her little hands clutching the sky blue fabric.

"Hey weren't we on our way to the Amusement Park?" the outsider asked, her voice cheerful, "Come on, let's get going before the day ends!"

Tora rubbed her eyes, a wide smile, like a cat's after having a bowl of warm cream, "Yeah, let's get going!" She quickly grabbed the foreigner's hand and began to drag her towards the familiar gate.

"Hey!" Aoi cried.

"Wait for us!" Utako hollered.

All of the girls were soon dashing towards the entrance, wided happy smiles on all of their faces.

* * *

Hooray all the girls have been introduced! *Throws confetti in the air* Banzai! (Hooray) I hope you guys liked them!

*Min'na- Everyone

*Utako- Song child or child of song. An original name I thought of, while Candy-chan offered just Uta. For Gowland's love of music.

*Midori- Green. A name I came up with myself. Since Pierce is the only guy with green eyes I thought why not?

*Onee-tan- slightly more cutesy and less honorific than Onee-chan.

*Tora- Tiger. Another name I thought of and Candy-chan suggested. Boris is a cat, so it would be impossible not to give his daughter a name that dealt with cats.

Nya*- Meow

It is now past midnight. I am partially dead. Please Review! I'll soon have one hundred, most reviews means more motivation to get my lazy but to keep on working. I want your ideas and comments too!

Did you get the title? It was from Little Boy Blue.

Little Boy Blue,

Come blow your horn,

The sheep's in the meadow,

The cow's in the corn;

Where is that boy

Who looks after the sheep?

Under the haystack

Fast asleep.

Daisuki~!


	13. Chapter 13 Amusement Park Excitement!

Yahoo! This story has over one hundred reviews! Cookies for all!

Please keep on reviewing!

I guess I let out a little spoiler there on the last chapter… ^_^; yeah… sorry…it was past midnight…so…The aged old questioned by sappheiros "Is Alice mom for all the girls?"

The answer is….

**NO! **

In my next story, childhood friends of Alice will come to Wonderland to find their missing friend, while each one will fall in love with a Roleholder.

There will be comedy, drama, friendship, romance, ecchi* moments, this young fan girl's fantasies for everyone to enjoy.

I just wanted to make sure everyone got the concept. Okay? Okay…

SO the question is which one _is _Alice's daughter? You will see!

Ink-san reviewed me and talked about the plot of the story and to be honest I'm not sure about that. I always thought I would just some fluffy scenes with the girls and their fathers, while trying to foreshadow my other story with their descriptions of their moms.

Though it gets pretty dramatic when the girls….*whacks herself for nearly spoiling story* please ignore that, I'm just insane.

Just a reminder, I don't anything besides the girls.

* * *

Chapter 13 Amusement Park Excitement! The Things that Change and the Things that Stay the Same!

Every young child's eyes broaded at the sight.

Everywhere you turn, there was something to do. A roller coaster to ride, a cart to try your luck at and see if you could a prize, and to beat the seasonal heat, water slides and pools to splash around in.

"Let's go on that ride first!" Natsuki cheered, pulling on the maiden's skirt, a finger pointing at large rink full of small carts clashing and bumping against each other.

"No! We have to go on that one first," Akahana corrected, tugged at the other side of the dress, her sight on a car slipping down a tube, water splashing on all sides.

"You're both wrong," Tora interrupted, "That one is first!" She yanked at the cream apron, one hand stretched out towards a ride, with tracks going in loops at high speed.

"Fine, fine! We'll go on all of them, just let go of me!" Alice chucked. She set the small mouse child down to let her walk about the park.

"Wow!" Midori cried, her head spinning around on its pole, "It doesn't feel like we left! It still looks so amazing"

"That's Otou-san's park for you! It's the best!" Utako boasted her chest out with fists on her hips.

"Shhh!" the rabbit shushed her finger on her lips. "You can't him Otou-san remember? We can't let them know that we are their kids!"

"Oh yeah..." the red head grumbled.

"Hey! Come on! We came here to have fun!" the maiden called out. "So let's get on a ride, and get started!"

"Right! So let's go on the roller coaster!" cried the cal girl, her fist up in the air.

"No we do the water slide!" the small hatter girl huffed, stomping one foot on the ground.

"Now…now" Aoi muttered, a large sweat drop coming down her head. Then her eyes lit up, like a light bulb. "How about you play rock-paper-scissors to see which ride we go on first?"

"Yeah that's good idea!" the small rabbit commented.

"That's Aoi for you, sharps as a tack," Utako beamed, she vigorously rubbed the sapphire locks, the child below them shyly smiled with a slight pink tint on her cheeks. A slight chuckle let itself out of her lips.

"Okay, let's do that!" the pink feline cheered, soon enough the three squabbling children stood a few inches from each other, making a circle. Each girl laid out one hand, with the other in a tight ball on top.

"Alright, let's get started," the white rabbit girl started.

"**Rock, Paper…."**

The last word didn't escape, for something had crashed into the mafia child.

Or rather someone…

On top of the ravenette, a familiar green jacket covered her. A pair of busy mocha and ears and matching tail helped make the person more recognizable...

"Ow…" the young man moaned, rubbing his back. His bangs covered one eye, his other emerald orb looking around, focusing on the maiden. She didn't really look happy.

"Hey Alice…what's wrong?" he asked, slightly puzzled.

"Pierce, get up! You're suffocating her!" Alice hollered, panic coated her voice.

"What…" he looked down to see the small girl beneath his frame, he scrambled off.

The squashed girl slowly stood up, wobbling a little.

"Are you okay, Hana-chan?" the girl with braids asked. She clung unto one of her friend's arms, hoping to steady her dizzy friend.

"I'll be fine, just as soon as the three of you stop spinning…" the noirette murmured, her voice an octave higher than usual. She rumbled her noggin, her hand combing her ebony curls. The fingers grabbed her hat; she started at the bowler for a second, and then waved it around. The girl dusted her hat with her hand and set it back on her head.

"Sorry…" the male mumbled his fists close to ground. His ears pressed against his head.

"It's okay…you just have to treat me sometime," Akahana replied promptly.

"Ehh?" he cried, his face dropped.

"Well, it's only right, you did squish me," the little girl retorted.

"I guess so…I get you something um…" Pierce started then stared quizillcally at the child.

"Oh! That's right, I haven't introduced myself, how rude of me," the ravenette realized, "My name is Akahana," her opened her hand and pointed at one of the girls, "This is Natsuki, this is Aoi, this is Utako, this is Tora and…" she stopped when her hand faced an empty space. "Hey, where's Mi-chan?"

The group twirled their heads around, hoping to find the missing child. She seemed to have to just have scurried off…well like a mouse.

"There she is!" the small rabbit cried, her finger now an arrow.

It pointed to a small alley, where something bushy sticking out of it is opening. They all walked over to the lane to see the small girl crouched down, her head on her knees.

"What's she doing there?" Alice asked.

"She's probably just being shy," Utako responded.

"Hey Midori, come on out," the outsider coaxed, her fingers swaying hoping to get the girl out. Yet, the child remained in her spot.

"Hey come on," Pierce whispered, now crouching down. "There's nothing to worry about, I won't hurt you."

Midori raised her head; her shining jungle green eye stared at the young man.

"That's right, come on, don't be so shy," the mouse said in a reassuring voice.

The little mouse stood and strolled out; she stopped in front of everyone, her hands scrunching her skirt.

"My name is Midori, it's nice to meet you, Onii-tan," she whispered.

"Nice to meet you too," he beamed.

Both of them broke out into a small giggle, a warm peaceful scene.

Until…

"Oi, where did you go, you stupid rat?" a familiar voice called out.

Both of the mice faces pailed at the sound. The others turned their heads to see a familiar pink boa with a pair of pierced pink ears above it.

"There you are!" the teen called. Immediately, the mice tried to run away, but their effort s were in vain, both sets of gloveless fingers wrapped themselves around a furry tail. The two were trapped, both faces turned blue.

"Well well well, look what we have here. A meal and dessert!" he sneered.

"Eek!" they both cried.

"Hey, hey. Knock it off Boris," Alice scolded, "you're scaring both of them."

"Hey come on, I'm a cat Alice, I got to eat something," Boris replied.

"Then here," Alice complied. Her hand slipped into her pocket and pulled out a case made of tin, a picture of a fish on the top.

"Alice, I meant fresh meat," his ears drooped.

"If you don't want it I'll take it," the kitten coyly said.

Boris looked down to see the girl, her eyes wide at him, while a finger pressed against her lips.

"Who is this?" the male cat asked.

"Her name is Tora, I'm taking care of her for a while," the maiden replied.

"Well, whoever she is, she sure does smell good, almost like your scent." Boris commented as he leaned in on her, his sniffing causing the fur on her ears to move in sync with his inhales.

"Aniki stop it! That tickles!" Tora giggled.

"Now that you mention it, Midori smells like Alice too," Pierce mentioned as he let the child's scent go in and out of his nose.

"Stop it, Onii-tan!" the small mouse chuckled.

"Okay, enough with the sniffing already and let's get on a ride!" complained the noirette.

"Hey there's a new ride over there, want to try it out?" the feline suggested, his thumb sticking out behind him.

"Well, it beats quarrelling any day, let's go!" hollered Utako.

* * *

The group followed the cat to the new ride, which turned out to be a swing ride, its chairs suspended by their ropes. By the time they fell back down, all of the girls were either seeing double or triple.

"How is everyone?" the maiden asked, mentally counting the number of heads she saw. _"Sixteen…seventeen…eighteen…"_

"I'll be fine…just as soon of the three of you stop spinning…" Utako mumbled as she wobbled around.

"Hey! That's my line! The two of you stop that!' Akahana chuckled. The crowd broke into hysterical laughter. Utako continued doing her dizzy dance, twirling around until she bumped around something, or rather someone.

"Are you okay, kid?" an older male asked.

"Yeah…" she rubbed her head, and then she blinked her light blue eyes.

"_That voice…"_

She glanced up and immediately she was mesmerized. There he was. Same glasses, same red hair, same wide smile, same violin.

"_Otou-san! It's really him! He hasn't change a bit!"_

"Hey, who are you?" the man asked.

"I'm Utako! My name is Utako! It's nice to meet you!" she greeted; the girl was practically bouncing up and down like a puppy.

Alice heard the child squeal with excitement, and she turned around. She spotted who the girl was talking too, and easily understood her animation.

"Heya Gowland," the maiden called.

The man looked over to see the foreigner along with the children the other two Roleholders.

"Alice, my girl! I've got a new song! Want to hear it?" he said.

In an instant, the three, more experienced members of the assembly faces became blue with discomfort. While in contrast…the girls seemed…almost happy. All of them had eyes shining like stars.

Utako's shone the brightest.

"You're going to play? Can I play with you?" she begged, the excitement making girl hyperactive.

"Ah! A fellow musician! Why sure, the more the merrier!" he exclaimed. He placed the instrument on his shoulder as she turned her bracelet into her own instrument. Just as she inhaled …

_***SCREECH!* *SCRATCH!* *SCREECH!***_

The sound filled the air like the plague. This "music" made the sound of nails on a chalkboard seem like a melody that would put a newborn to sleep.

Most of his audience now had their hands covering their ears, hoping to muffle the shrill. Only the child before him, had her hands down by her side. She caught right in the storm. Paralyzed. Trapped.

The sound halted, Gowland peered down at the girl, "hey, what's wrong? I thought you were going to play?"

"Um…I don't think …I can play...that…um… fast," her voice strained to find the words she had just said.

"Oh, don't worry about it," the man beamed and he placed his hand the child's head, ruffling up the loose, ruby curls on top of her head. Usually that would make her happy, but now…

"Hey, Utako! We're going to the food court, you coming?" Tora called.

"Yeah…" she mumbled, slowly walking towards her friends, her head bent down.

"I wonder what's wrong with her," the older man mumbled. And he strolled off, checking to see if business was booming as usual.

* * *

"Wow, I never thought I'd hear the day, Go-onii-chan would go…go" the rabbit stopped, trying to remember the word.

"Tone-deaf, Suki-chan, he is tone-deaf," Akahana finished as sipped on her glass of ice tea.

With the cat and mouse playing with their female counterparts, Alice was left with the other four girls. All of their attention was on one of them.

"Here Uta-chan," Aoi offered, she nudged a large glass with bubbling liquid and scoops of ice cream with a straw on top closer to her friend.

"Thank you…" the child mumbled, without hesitation her lips wrapped the tube, moving back and forth, concurrently the level of the drink dropped.

"I kind of feel sorry for Utako right now," the maiden stated.

"I never knew he could ever be so...so…" the child's voice drifted off.

"Terrible?' offered Aoi.

"Yeah…terrible…" the depressed girl sighed. She put her lips at her straw, doing to opposite of what she did before, and a few bubbles appeared in a blink of an eye and popped just as quick.

"Well, don't worry! At least you can see your papa all the time!" the rabbit comforted her friend, slowly rubbing small circles on her back.

"That's true, even if he's different. I'm sure that your father is still the same father you know," the noirette went into further detail. She wrapped her arms around her friend for good measure, hoping to make her friend smile again. The other two joined in, Aoi on the other side and Natsuki grabbing her back, snuggling close to their meloncaly comrade. It seemed to do the trick as the squashed girl giggled.

"Thank you, guys!" Utako grabbed the two friends on each side, the rabbit climbed up, resting her chin on the other girl's head. The four broke out into a cheerful laughter, happily smiling, just like the children that they are.

"You girls…sure do seem close," Alice commented, beaming at the scene. It made her heart warm as if someone had wrapped a blanket around it.

"Yep! Cause we are! Our Mamas are best friends, even back when they were even younger than us, they were friends!" the rabbit explained.

"_That explains the girls so close, I could understand Gowland's and Julius's kid being close, but to add Peter's and Blood's at it seems sort of weird. However, if their mothers are friends then makes more sense. I remember when I was younger…my friends would do the same thing…_

_

* * *

_

_A small brunette child, a light blue bow in her hair, a matching dress wrapped around her form, was kneeling on the ground. Her small fists covered her eyelids, a hole in the corner of them letting small drops fall._

"_What's wrong Alice?" a voice asked, a child's voice, a girl's voice._

_The lolita-dressed turned to find other females her age, well their shadows at least because of separation makes the mind forgetful. _

"_I got scolded by Sensei* again, he said I failed and my…my…" she couldn't bring herself to say the word, for the scar that remained on her heart that would never heal. "He said she would be disappointed me."_

_Soon enough, she felt warm but squashed. All the girls had swarmed their friend, making her feel as if she in one huge hug._

"_Come on Alice smile, a girl looks much cuter if she smiles," one girl quoted._

"_We all love the Alice that smiles, so come on," another encouraged._

_Alice wiped the tears away, her mouth curved, the ends supported to small rosy balls of cheek._

"_Now, that's our Alice!" the girls squealed._

_

* * *

_

Alice snapped back to reality, the four girls sitting down and eating their snacks.

She smiled but felt a little depressed despite herself.

"_I wish my friends were here, I can't help but miss them, but its okay since I have friends here too…"_

The cat and mouse females had returned to the group, and they were walking around the park, enjoying the sights when…

"Well, well, look who we have here," a smooth tenor voice crooned.

"Blood-aneue, are you here to play too?" the small ravenette asked.

"Yeash! This is enemy territory for us, why would we play over here?" The hare hollered.

"Eek!" the child shrieked, she dove behind the foreigner's legs, her friends then followed the pursuit.

"Elliot! There's no need to shout at them!" Alice scolded.

"Sorry…" Elliot grumbled.

"Stupid bunny scared the kids," Dee stated.

"Now he made Onee-san mad, dumb hare," Dum added.

"Shut up you two runts!" the orange haired man yelled.

"Now stop, y'all you're causing a scene in my territory!" another voice growled. Everyone turned to find Gowland, scowling at one person in particular.

"Hello there, Mary, how's business?" Blood asked politely.

An anime vein popped out of Gowland's head, his teeth pushed down on each other. "Hatter, what a nice surprise," his voice was full of fake happiness, "What brings you to my Amusement Park?"

"The same old droll business, let's get this over with. I'd rather slurp sludge than be in this place," the mafia man moaned.

"Okay, okay, that's enough…" another vein popped out on the owner's head.

"What's wrong, Mary? You seem upset," the mafia boss commented.

"**THAT'S IT!" **

_***BANG* *BANG* *BANG***_

The sound rang throughout the park, people scattered from t he scene. Everyone hid for cover, for when the two owners got into an agruement it was wise to flee. Since everyone knew the wise thing, each one seemed to find a particular spot to hide from the battle.

"Well, some things don't change," Akahana bluntly stated, her head peered out the alleyway where all the girls sought protection in.

"Yep, fish swim, birds fly, and our Otou-sans _**don't**_ get along," Utako agreed her head just above her friend.

"So, they are always going fight like this?" Alice asked.

"Yep, they'll fight until they are in their graves, and then beyond!" Natsuki chuckled.

"Yeah, no matter what if you those two in a room, they'll find a way to start a war," Tora chuckled.

"And since our mothers are the only ones who could stop them, looks like we'll be here for a while," the noirette sighed, resting her head in her hand.

"How did you mothers stop them?" Alice questioned.

"Kiss them or pinch their ears and scold them, depending on the mood," Midori replied promptly.

"Kiss them?" Alice questioned. _"How does that stop them?"_

"Yep! A hot kiss cools down a hot temper! That's what our Okaa-chans always say, right?" Aoi turned to her friends.

"**YEAH!" **All the girls agreed.

"_Okay…I don't know how to respond to that…"_

"I'm…going to go with the ear and scolding option…" Alice chuckled nervously.

"We'll help you! Here's what we'll do…," the young girl in braids stated.

As the girls concocted their plan, the two men continued to bicker. There was evidence of battle, on every wall there evidence of something that had smashed in them.

"You getting old Mary," Blood scoffed, as he ducked another round of shots.

"Damn you, Hatter!" Gowland roared.

While the two men focused on each other, they paid little attention to maiden closing in on them.

Until…

"_**AHH!"**_

"_**EER!"**_

…too late.

The male Roleholders would not have believed it if they had not seen it. For the girls, it wasn't really a big deal, they've seen similar instances with their parents. Either way, there she was, mounted tall, with her hands pinching an ear on each man.

"_**Okay, that's enough! I've had with you two bickering like school kids! Can't you two even TRY to act like your age?"**_ Alice growled with bent up aggression.

"Onee-san is right, it's no wonder you two don't have wives yet," Utako strolled next to the maiden, "You two need to grow up from toddlers first."

"They say with age comes maturity and wisdom," Akahana appeared on the foreigner's other side, "but you two are just shooting it full of holes, among other things…" the noirette turned her head, eyes on the damage on the buildings made by the bullets.

As the scolding continued, the other friends began to snicker and giggle. Who wouldn't? To see the two of the most powerful males in Wonderland, being scolded like children, was a laughable situation. They couldn't do anything; all they could do was just listen to the ranting of the outsider and the chuckling of their fellow Roleholders. For a few days, Gowland and Blood's trigger finger seemed to be more willing to aim at people they say whispering around them…

* * *

*ecchi- perverted

There! Another chapter done! Hope you guys like it!

There is one more I'd like to add…remember when I've said that I introduced all of the girls? Well there may be one more character I'd like to add… but of course I could cut hi…I mean that person out this story. I doesn't matter to me…but I'd really like to put this character in…I think it would be really cute…

Maybe if you guys reviewed me a lot, telling me you like this story and want to see this person… sent me some messages about some ideas… I might put the ki…I mean person in….

Just a hint…


	14. Chapter 14 Little Hearts go Doki! Doki!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! So many reviews…*Blows nose and wipes tears* I'm so happy!

Well here it is! You've all waited and guessed on the mystery person… And now lets get on with the story!

I don't own anything but the kids remember that!

* * *

Chapter 14 Little Hearts go Doki Doki*!Enter the…!

The blossoms filled her nostrils with a sweet fresh scent. The maiden continued to enjoy the season, her mind entering into a blissful daze.

"Onee-chan!"

That snapped her back to reality. She turned to see all of the girls, each cltching a box with brightly colored wrapping or a bag with tissue paper sticking out the opening.

"Come on Onee-chan! Vivaldi-onee-chan is waiting for us!" the rabbit huffed.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm coming," she giggled, her own present swinging in her hand, she skipped over to the girls and they started to the castle.

They found the monarch in her usual spot, sitting down on pink blanket underneath one of the multiple blossoming timber. Her hand rested in her lap, cradling a small china cup, its mouth full of the familiar brown liquid.

"Alice, it's been a while, we have missed seeing you," the queen smiled, patting a spot next to her.

"Vivaldi-onee-chan! I missed you too! Didn't you missed Suki-chan too?" whined the rabbit, her lips squished into a cute pout.

The monarch giggled, "Of course we missed all of you cute children as well, " She shifted her head to get a better view of some of the girls, "And we notice a few more girls seemed to come with you."

"Well, its pretty obvious who they really are, " the maiden stated, her palm exposed with her fingers like a spotlight, pointing attention to the girls. "This is Akahana, Amai, Fumiko , Takara, Midori, and Utako."

"We are pleased to meet your acquaintance," Vivaldi greeted the children, "we see that you are all very cute."

"Viva-nee!" the two smaller girls squealed, clomping onto the red frilled gown. "We missed you!"

"Hey share Ane-chan, we missed her too!" the hare growled.

All of the girls seemed to want to get their hands around the monarch, who was happy to retuen each embrace.

While the noirette had her turn, she happily inhaled the scent of roses, a familiar perfume the queen wore. Her eyes snapped opened with realization, "Aneue, just wait a minute." She turned her dig into her small bag she had carried there. "Tadah!" she turned back to the queen with a small pink bear holding a rose in its paws.

"My! How cute!" Vivaldi squealed in childish delight.

"We all brought gifts since its been a while since we've seen you," Akahana explained.

"We thank you, all of you," the monarch thanked.

* * *

"You've should have seen them, it was hilarious!" Alice chuckled, recalling the scene.

"Yep, Go-aniki and Blood-aniki went from roaring like loins to whimpering like whipped pups with their tails between their legs in only a few seconds!" the little kitten howled as she held her stomach.

"How we wish would could have been there to have seen it," the queen sighed, as she stirred her tea.

The cluster continued to laugh and enjoy thw warm season. The female chirping flowed.

"_**Mother!"**_

A slightly deeper squawk flew in from out of nowhere. The conversations deceased itself and heads twisted around to find the owner of the voice.

It wasn't exactly like the ones that surrounded the maiden. It was young like a child, but deeper like a…

They turned around to find a child standing no more than a few from them. The child had short about neck-length, slightly wild, violet hair. The kid eyes were a lighter shade of amethyst, but they seem to go along with his mane, along with his light skin. After looking over the youth, it was obvious what was different about this little one.

This child was a boy.

And an interesting boy at that. On top of his crown, was a real crown. A round golden garland, on its top were several spikes, each spike had a heart shaped ruby on it. He wore a light cream long sleeved shirt, with fills at the end. A small ascot was tied to his shirt, on it another gemstone, this one a perfect circle shone. With a pair of of ebony pants and boots, he looked like…

"_A prince, a prince fresh out of a fairy tale, only a feet shorter then you would usually imagine," _Alice thought.

"Masahiko!" the little rabbit girl squealed, and immediately clumped onto the chap, her cheek snuggling against his own. "Suki-chan missed you! Did you miss Suki-chan too?"

"Y…Yeah Natsuki, I missed you too," the boy sighed, and then he smiled.

"Masa-nii we missed you more!" the two look-a-likes cried and huged the lad's sides.

Soon enough all the girls had come over to crowd around their old friend, hugging on to him and telling the young lad their feelings of leaving the two lder females still sitting under a pink petaled tree.

"Masahiko?" Alice thought out loud.

"Umm. You guys? I missed you too…but could you guys let go of me? It's kind of hard to breathe…" the child gasped.

" Sorry!" they cried, and they parted the way for him.

He sighed once more, "Everyday the same thing…" it was then when he noticed to the maiden, staring at him quizzically.

"Oh, hello there madam, who are you?" the young boy asked.

Before the foreigner could answer, the rabbit child replied, "This is Alice Liddell, she's a good friend who's been taking care of us."

"Thank you for such good care of my friends, they be annoying, but I couldn't imagine life without them," the youth bowed his head slightly.

"Hey! That's mean!" Mamoru squealed.

All of the children burst into giggles, even Alice and Vivaldi chuckled.

"By the way, who are you?" the outsider questioned.

"My name is Masahiko Windsor, it's a pleasure to meet you, Liddell-san," the boy introduced himself.

"_Windsor….as in…no way…." _The thought passed through the monarch's mind. She continued to stare at the chap. The boy finally noticed the stare of the violet eyes as he peered at her with his own lilac eyes.

His face brightened and he dashed over to the queen, clasping on to her waist. "Mother!"

The queen stiffed, and the young lady's eyes grew wider at the word that they had heard.

"Mother?" both the women let the word slip from their lips.

"Her?" Alice pointed a finger at the only female Roleholder.

"Us?" Vivaldi pointed a manicured nail towards her own face.

"Yes…What's wrong Mother?" the kid's voice conveyed his feeling, confusion.

Suddenly, everything went dark… for Vivaldi that is.

* * *

"Onee-chan? Onee-chan?" those words broke through the silence and the vanilla white ceiling colored her once black vision. The monarch was able to lift herself up, a stab of pain reng through her head. Her hand automatically shifted through her dark curls.

"She's alive, pay up," Fumiko commanded, Takara grumbled and placed her fist inside her pocket, pulling out a few coins and placing them in her cousin's open hand.

The queen looked around, judging by the number of brass beds with white sheets, she was in the wing of the castle where injured or sick workers would go. She found every shade of color found in the rainbow and more focused on her.

"Are you feeling better Aneue?" the small noirette asked, taking one of the elegant hands and covering it with one of her own.

"Here," Aoi mumbled, a delicate china cup filled with clear liquid laid in her hands.

"Thank you," Vivaldi took the small vessel and tipped it.

"Are you sure feeling okay your majesty?" another voice asked.

Immediately, all of the drink gushed out like a rocket's flame, obviously not suiting her refine nature. The waves of curls flowed as the monarch turned her head to see the small boy looking up at her. His face was just of a big eyed puppy. Completely cute that you would want to hug him, while the sad look made you go "awww!" as your chest tighten. _KYUN!*_

"SO you were real…" the queen said, absentmindly.

"I'm sorry for all the confusion I've caused you. I didn't know about the circumstances. I'm really sorry…" he mumbled as he bowed his head.

"It wasn't your fault! We didn'y know what happened until Alice-aneue explained it to us," Akahana cried.

"Yeah, there's no need to be blue! What Hana-chan says is true! ," Natsuki assured.

" Thanks," Masahiko said. His face suddenly brightened, his mouth sr=trenched into a mile wide smile. "I know!" and in the blink of an eye, the child dashed out of he door.

"Wonder where he's off to," Alice pondered, her eyes still lingering on the exit.

"_**HAA!~"**_

The maiden turned her head at the sound of the loud sigh to see all of the young girls, cheeks painted pale pink, eyes closed. Some had their faces cupped in their hands, a few only one hand careesed their cheek while their noggins were slanted, while other hand their hands close to their racing hearts.

"Masahiko is so kind and wonderful isn't he?" the red head child asked to no one in particular.

All of her friends responded though with nods.

"He's just like the prince who danced with Cinderella…" Natsuki said dreamily, her eyelids opened, revealing two shining rubies.

"He's just like the prince who kissed Princess Aurora…" chirped Akahana, her aquamarine orbs sparkled like the precious jewels.

"He's just the prince who proposed to Thumbelina…" added Midori in a blissful tone,her emerald irises twinkling.

All of the girl sighed simultaneously, one could practically the hearts floating around them as well as in each girls gaze.

"Your son sure does seem popular, " Alice commented.

The queen could only nod in agreement, her mind was still reeling from the news. The fact that she had a son….especially since….

Suddenly, the subject of the conversation appeared, but now he was holding a dozen of the red blooms that grew in the maze outside in his hand. He strolled over to the monarch, placing the flowers in her hands.

"These are for you, I hope you feel better soon," Masahiko panted, slightly tired from his run around the garden.

"Thank you very much," Vivaldi thanked, her grip on the flowers grew tighter.

The sound of rapid footsteps grew louder and stopped when the male monarch stood in the doorway, a concerned look on his face. "Vivaldi?" he cried.

"King…" the female ruler said, her eyes on him.

"_King?" _ the boy pondered. He glanced at the queen then her male counterpart back at the female. He tlitled his head down, his mind processing.

"Vivaldi, are you okay?" the older man asked.

"Yes, we are fine. We were just tired," she responded, turning her face away from his, hoping he didn't the very light color that bloomed on her cheeks.

"Phew, good. It would be bad if the paper work began to pile up even more than it usually does," the royal mumbled.

Her response was a large fluffy pillow in the face as well as her screeching,

"_**INSOLENT MALE! WE'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD FOR THAT!"**_

He quickly fled the scene, knowing well how serious she actually was.

A few moments passed and Vivaldi grumbled collapsing herself on the bed, "Stupid man…"

"Umm…Your Majesty… I've got a question," the young boy said.

"What is it?" the oldest female asked.

"How come you addressed him as King?" Masahiko asked.

"Why wouldn't we?" the monarch answered.

"Because…." The boy stuttered, "You're married to him?"

"**EEEEEHHHH?" **the monarch shrieked. "Married to that filth? You must be joking!"

"But since you are king and queen, doesn't it mean you're married?" pondered the child.

"**No it does not!"** she hollered. **"And why does it matter to you?"**

"He's my father."

The queen was speechless, the words hit her like a weight.

"Hey, is that true?" Alice asked, shocked herself.

"Yeah," Yumeko replied bluntly.

"_No…way…" _ those two words echoed in Vivaldi's mind.

* * *

Hours after the girls had left, the queen's eyes now staring at the black ink sky, her head still going over through the day.

"_That child was our child….ours and King's…."_

"_King…."_

"_Randolph…"_

Her mind f;ashed to a scene where the man in question held her cheek softly.

"Vivaldi…" he whispered.

His fingers tilted her head as his own face lowered in closer….

The image turned into smoke as the queen shook her head.

"_Stupid! There's no way that spineless man would do something like that!"_

"_There's no way…"_

She sighed as walked over to her bed, laying down on it, her silky locks free of the formal curls now flowing like a river around her. A silk purple nightgown took the place of her usual red attire. She grabbed one of the plushies she'd usually slept with, holding it close to her chest, squeezing it for comfort.

_***KNOCK! KNOCK!***_

The sound of something hitting her door made the woman sit straight up. "Come in."

_***CREAK!***_

When to door laid close to wall, in its place, the boy…no the prince stood. His casual attire along with crown were gone. Now he wore deep plum colored pjs. She couldn't help but stare, depite the obvious similarity between herself and the child, he did some qualities similar to the king…

"May I come in?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied. She patted the sheet next to her, he strolled on over and placed himself on the spot.

"Um…Your Majesty…Can I ask you another question?" pondered the child.

"Of course, what is it?" the monarch asked.

"Do you…like me?" the boy looked up at her with the same sad eyes he wore when she woke up.

Her head turned and her face held a confused look.

"Its just that, since I haven't been born yet, I'm not techinally your son. But I still love you…because you still seem the same mother I've always known…but I've caused you so much confusion and trouble….I'm sorry…" he lowered his head, showing his emotion perfectly.

Suddenly, a warmth rubbed around his locks. When he looked up, he saw a kind smile on the monarch's face.

"We understand, there's no need to cry, young one. We like you. You're very kind, giving us flowers," commented Vivaldi.

"Your Majesty…" he mumbled.

"Now enough with this formality, just call us Vivaldi," she stated.

"Vivaldi…sama," the prince said.

"Just Vivaldi or maybe you can call me older sister," the monarch corrected.

"But I have to show respect to does above me*…" he mumbled. He glanced up and opened his once more, "Vi…Vivaldi-aneue-sama*?"

"Good," the queen smiled, wrapping her arms around the small boy.

He snuggled close to the woman's chest. _"There's no doubt about it…this smell… roses and tea, she's my mother. Along with this sound…_

The ticking heart, the same as his own, close to his ear made him safe. Yet, there something diffrenet, it was obvious. The missing clanking of another mechanical heart, close to him, made him feel uneasy. But he dimissed it.

"_I'm not sure what's going on here, about you and Father…but don't worry it will all turn out alright, it will be just fine."_

As she enjoyed the small monarch's embrace, a thought came across her mind and so she let it be heard.

"Masahiko? Why were you named that?" the woman asked.

"Well, when I was born… you and father had a little trouble deciding a name, so you asked the wives of the other Roleholders. They are all foreigners and come from different lands, so they came up with the name Masahiko. It means just or fine prince. I really want to live up to that name," he answered.

"Is Alice one of them?" she pondered about her closest friend's future.

"Hmm…I'm not sure…the women are sort of fuzzy in my mind…" he said, rubbing his head.

"Well, we believe that you are fine prince right now," she gently kissed his forehead, then the two rested on the bed, needing a good night's sleep for the crazy they had.

* * *

*Doki-Doki- the sound of a heartbeat especially one in beating fast in love

*KYUN!- the sound that effect for one when your chest tightens up as you get emotional

*I have to show respect to those above- in Japanese society its important to know ones place in society.

*aneue-sama- aneue is a formal way of refering to ones older sister, usually in high class or royal familes. gave Akahana and Masahiko this one since they come from high class families but adding -sama shows the princes polite nature.

MA~SA~HI~KO! He's so adorable! *Huggles him*

I'm trying to make a polite and kind kid, but also a slightly teasing older brother to the girls so anything you have to input give it to me!

Really think Vivaldi and the King are a cute couple, so I'm gonna put them together around the same time I put the foreigners with the Roleholders.

The next couple of chapters are going to really fluffly and sweet so does with sugar addictions or cavities stay away! They'll moe scenes with the girls and fathers so stay tuned! I'll have a poll on which ones you guys want me to do first!

Rmember I need your love to keep me going, so show me your love by reviews and messages!

Daisuki!


	15. Chapter 15 Scrub a dub dub!

I looked at my last chapter and I realized how much the grammar and spelling sucked. DX I did most all of the typing in two days because I had too much work…but since spring break is coming I should make this one better.

These next chapters will be slightly different, focusing on the girl rather than Alice. Some will be a their father's territories other may actually back at the Tower, where they all live for now. (Alice probably has her hands full)

Thanks for everyone who voted in my poll! (Though I expected a few more…) This pairing got the most votes (2) first so I decided to do this one first. And for those who get confused like me….Red= Dum and Takara, Blue=Dee and Fumiko.

Also bold text that isn't italicized, is either the twins or the girls talking at the same time.

I hope that you guys like this one. Remember nothing is mine, except the girls

* * *

Scrub-a-dub-dub! Pop-chan in the tub!

The air tense, like as if a knife could cut through it. A pair of violet eyes shifted from one side to another, watching one girl whistle as her cousin shifted her cards absentmindedly. His glance returned to his cards.

"_Now let's see I have three sixes…" _

"Revolution!" cried Fumiko. She slapped her cards down, two pairs of fours shown, her hands up in the air.

"No way!"The hare yelled, "You little cheat!"

"It's not cheating, it's in the rules, stupid bunny!" her red clad cousin commented.

"**I'M GONNNA GET YOU TWO RUNTS!" **Elliot roared, as the two scattered from the table. Soon enough the three began racing down the maroon rug. Cream walls with chocolate bars standing straight up against them flew by the group.

"Eek!" cried the blue girl.

"Help us!" other girl yelled.

_***CREAK!***_

A wide chestnut door stood and the twins stood.

"Dee-nii! Dum-nii!" the two girls shrieked and immediately clomped onto the teens, seeking shelter behind their legs.

"Hey you two what's wrong?" asked the twin in red.

"Elli-nii is picking on us!" cried Takara, peering up from Dum's red pants.

"He's a bully!" whined her cousin, glancing at the hare.

"Dumb rabbit! Didn't Onee-san already scold you for yelling at the kids?" Dee asked.

"He probably hasn't learned his lesson, brother. He'll probably needs to get his ears pulled, just like the boss," his double chucked.

"O—Oi!" the carrot topped man stuttered, "Do you want to get killed! If Blood heard you, he'll definitely cut you guys paycheck for sure! Why don't you runts get back to work?"

"We just got off our shift," Dum retorted, "You better get to yours done, dumb hare."

"What! I'm gonna…" Elliot started.

"Elliot? What's going on?"

The rabbit eared man turned to find his boss, arms crossed. His cane lightly bounced off the ground, repeatedly.

"Elliot, I believe there is some leftover paperwork for you to sign," the noirette commented.

"I'm coming," the hare called, as he turned towards the boys. "One day, you kids are so gonna get it."

"Elliot…" Blood chanted, "I'm waiting."

"Coming!" the man turned down the hallway. Leaving the foursome to themselves.

As the two were walking, the one in the top hat asked, "Hey, just what were you and the twins talking about?"

"Well…umm… you see…it's a long story…" Elliot mumbled.

"Well, you can tell me all about it, while you're finishing up that paperwork," Blood smirked.

"_This is going to be a long night…"_

_

* * *

_

"Elli-nii always threatens you all the time doesn't he?" Takara questioned.

"Yeah, but never does anything about it," Dum assured.

"Yeah, all bark and no bite," Dee added.

"Strange, Fumi-chan didn't know bunnies could bark," the small girl in blue commented.

The group burst into laughter. As the chuckling died down, the two older boys started to leave the girls behind them when they called out.

"Hey, where are you two going?" they asked simultaneously.

"We're going to go take bathes, want to come with?" the red twin asked.

"Can we?" the girls questioned.

"Of course, the more the merrier!" the boy in blue answered.

"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Takara cheered. Their surrounding s speed past them once more, laughter echoing down the corridor.

* * *

"_**CANNONBALL!"**_

The peach colored walls resonance with the cry as two balls splashed into the wide in ground tub. The circles rose and uncurled themselves, revealing the two older boys.

"Yeah! We won brother!" Dum cried.

"Alright brother!" his twin cheered.

"_**YEAH!"**_ the doubles hollered and then they hive fived each other. Dum's red eyes widen with realization, his glanced then turned towards the two girls staring at them. The one with ruby eyes stared with a rather angry glare, her hands on her towel covered hips, while her doubles aquamarine orbs glanced with a rather timid look, her hands messing her own towel edges close to her knees.

"Hey what's wrong? Aren't you going to come in? The water's great!" Dee asked.

"Our mom-chans always told us you have to wash before you take a bath*…" Fumiko mumbled.

"Yeah! You have to wash or else you will just be swimming around in dirty water! Yuck!" her cousin added; with her finger pointing her tongue showing out of her open mouth.

"Come on you two, don't be prickly, it's okay," the sky blue eyed boy responded.

"What your moms don't know, won't heard them," his flame red double added coyly.

"Hmm…I see no problem with that," Takara stated.

"If you put it that, I guess that there's no problem," Fumiko concluded. The two girls glanced at one another then…

"_**BANZAI!*"**_

A giant wave suddenly splashed over the two boys, nearing drifting them across the pool like tub. The two small girls rose up from the clear liquid.

"Our wave was bigger than yours!" The two girls mocked.

"Oh yeah? Then how about this?" the two boy smirked, pushing water towards the girls.

"We'll get you for that!" the children responded with a wave of their own.

For a few minutes the water fight continued, by the time it was over, both the teen were panting.

"What's wrong with you two? Already tired?" Takara asked, condescendingly, "Looks like the Hatter's gatekeepers are actually wimps."

"Yep! Looks like Dee-nii and Dum-nii have to get bigger and stronger before they can beat us!" Fumiko chuckled.

"Bigger and stronger, eh…?" the two boys looked at each other, then at the girls.

"Alright! You want it…" Dee started.

"You got it!" Dum finished.

_***FLASH!***_

The sudden scintillating light made the girl's hands cover their eyes. When it dulled, the boys…were no longer boys. Two older teens, one with Dee's blue eyes yet with longer hair another one with Dum's red eyes. Both were taller, slightly buffer, and yet…

"Dum-nii?" Takara's claret red eyes widened.

"Dee-nii?" Fumiko's cerulean orbs dilated.

"Bet you didn't expect this!" The longer haired one grinned and then he noticed the girls' mouths hanging like a fish. "What's wrong with you two?"

"Noth…nothing…" the two girls mumbled.

Even though they were not twins, they had the same thought, almost like telepathy.

"_Now that he looks older, he looks more like the Pop-chan I know…"_

_

* * *

_

"_**We're gonna get you two!" **__the two men cried. A large wave followed and the girls tried to swim away, but they weren't fast enough so in practically an instant, the cousins found themselves in the same warm arms that held them all their lives._

"_Dee, Dum be careful! You might hurt them," the words came from a feminine shadow with hair tied up. _

_Another shadow with hair barley reaching past her ears added, "You might hurt them!"_

"_Sorry Love, but I don't think my daughter is as delicate as you think, right brother?" Dum commented._

"_Yes, that's true, brother," agreed his twin._

"_**Yeah, Mom-chan! We're not as weak as you think we are!" **__the two girls cried,__** "Take this!"**_ _The two girls dipped their hands below the water and raised them so that it splashed all over the women._

"_Oh yeah? Take that!" the shadow with longer hair kicked and caused the water to become waves, the shorter haired one joined in as well._

_The splashing and laughter continued until fingers, toes were wrinkly, and skin was red._

_

* * *

_

The two girls continued to stare at the boys for a while, until….

_***SPLASH!***_

The two girls shook their heads, coming out of the shock at the water impact.

"**What's wrong with you two? Aren't we going to play anymore?" **the two males teen asked.

"**Actually, we're just getting warmed up!" **the girls cried. _**"Take this!"**_

The four continued the battle, constant laughter ringing in the walls.

The two girls thought the same idea once more…

"_Though they may be much younger, they'll always be our Pop-chans."_

_

* * *

_

*Wash before we bathe-In Japanese culture, one usually washes one's body and hair before they take a bath. That way the water they use does not get dirty.

*BANZAI!-usually meaning hurrah or long life depending on how they use it. Usually used to show enthusiasm, celebrate a victory or applaud a happy occasion.

There ya have it! The twins' chapter! *Clap!**Clap!* *Clap!* Hope you enjoy this chapter and the other that will come!

Please review Please! I love it when you do! Don't forget to vote on the poll as well!


	16. Chapter 16 Camping with Dad!

**READ THIS FIRST!**

**Here is another chapter from me! No voted for this chapter when I started writing it but I wanted to this one so here it is! This chapter was a little easier to come up with (probably because I already have a clear image of the wife.) Hope you guys love this one!**

**Remember I own nothing! Sad but true…**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 16 Camping with Dad! The Precious Story!

Mamoru sighed as she stared out the window overlooking the winter woods, sighing again.

"_I'm so bored, there's nothing to do here!"_

Her blood colored eyes glanced down at the white landscape, her hand holding her head. Her eyes widened and her hand dropped down. There was a brown cape with dark red patches flowing in the frost bitten wind. Her face automatically brightened as she dashed down the stairs to meet the man.

"Ani!" the girl cried as she jumped on young man, who stumbled back a few steps.

"Whoa there, easy!" He chuckled as the girl snuggled close to him.

"Hey Ani, can I go camping with you?" the brunette pleaded, her eyes shining.

"Well, I don't mind, but I bet Alice would be mad if took you out with me," the knight commented.

"I'll ask!" she dashed down the hall, unfortunately in the wrong direction.

It took twenty minutes to get down to the sitting area; usually it took five for the average person. She glanced to find the person she was looking for, sitting by the fireplace.

"Ane! Ane!" she hollered as she scampered towards her. She quickly halted and sat down near the maiden's leg. With all the noise the child made, Alice could not help but look down to see Mamoru's shining wine-red eyes staring right at her.

"Whoa! What's going on?" the maiden asked. She would never be least than amazed at the energy bursting out the small brunette child.

"Can I please go out with Ace-ani?" the girl pleaded, clenching the foreigner's light blue skirt. The kid rested her head on the older woman's knee, glancing up at her face. A simply adorable look, that Mamoru hoped would win her request.

"No," Alice stated bluntly. Although the cute face had painted a seashell pink blush on her face, she knew exactly what would come of the girl if she went out with the knight. Several near death experiences that Alice herself had been it, flashed back at her, quite a few of them involving a _very familiar _smiling chestnut haired young man….

"Come on! Give me one good reason why I can't go with Ani?" whined the little lass.

"You'll get lost, you'll probably go somewhere strange, you may get in trouble..." the woman counted her fingers.

"Ane, I only asked for one.." Mamoru stated.

"Well, anyway you can't go, it's just not safe," Alice sighed.

"I always went with him when he was my dad…" the girl mumbled, her wine-colored eyes began to water.

The maiden sighed again, "I'm sorry, how about I read you another story instead?"

"Okay…" now it was the child's turn to sigh. The two females took each other's hand, strolling towards the outsider's room. While walking, an idea sparked into the child's mind. The thought spread a smile on her face.

* * *

"Pjs check, flashlight check, what else…." The small, fawn brown haired girl stated. The blood red eyes shifted towards one item to another one. She had been used to packing things into a small magenta backpack, but instead now she had a slightly larger black one that she had received from Alice.

"_I know I'm forgetting something…" _her head continued to plow through its memories trying to remember the item she needed.

"That's it!" her fist hit her hand, and she darted towards the bookshelf. In the lower shelves, ones once were empty, now filled with brightly colored thin books contrasting with the thicker duller shaded ones on the top. Mamoru quickly found the one she was searching for. A small chocolate one, with a strap covering the middle of the vanilla pages.

"_I can't go anywhere without this," _she concluded, _"I promised Mom…"_

_

* * *

_

"_Here you go, Mamoru," an older woman said._

_The small girl looked up to see her bent down, one hand on her knee, the other one holding something._

"_What is it, Mom?" the girl asked, she stood up to get a better look at it. "Is it another book?"_

"_Not exactly… take a look," her mother responded._

_The child took the book, noticing the piece of fabric over the pages. She slipped her fingers under the strap and, with a simple flick, the pages were free. Mamoru took the cover of the book with one hand and moved it to see…_

"_Its blank," the brunette child stated._

_She turned the page, nothing on that one either. Her thumb moved down the rest of the pages to see nothing on any one of them. _

"_Mom, what kind of book is this? The pages are all blank! Didn't the author get to write anything down?" the kid asked, completely confused._

"_That's because you have to be the author," the lady explained._

"_**HUH?"**_

_The woman chuckled, "This is a journal, Mamoru. This is a book where you can write the story."_

"_I write the story…what kind of story does Mamo-chan write?" the child asked._

"_Any kind you want, write about the times you get lost, your little __**adventures**__," the adult added an affectionate tone on the last word. "Write them down, so that when you come home, I can know where you've been. Promise my Mamoru."_

"_I promise Mom!" the small girl cried and leapt into the woman's arms._

"_Is this like the journal you and Dad share, Mom?" the child questioned_

"_Yes, why do you ask?" the adult asked._

"_Does that mean I have to write romantic mushy stuff like Dad and you write?" Mamoru inquired._

"_No…how do you what's in there…," the woman pondered._

"_I read it!" the girl cried._

"_You...__**DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN!**__" the lady yelled._

"_Whatever you say…my lovely lady!" the girl teased._

_Her mother blushed at the pet name that usually came out of her husband's mouth. The memory ended with the sound of laughter echoing, while her mother tickled her silly._

_

* * *

_

"_Mom…I don't know when I'll come home, but when I do…I'll have more stories for you to read," _the girl swore. She took the book and stuffed it into the bag. She shifted it onto her back. As she began to stroll out the room, she glanced back at the paper lying on the bed, reading

_Dear Alice-ane,_

_I'm going out with Ace-ani. I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't worry, I've been on these kind of trips before, so I know what to expect and what to do._

_With Love,_

_Mamo-chan_

"_That should do it," _the girl thought and with that, she shut the door behind her and left without a word.

* * *

"Ani! Ani!" the child called. The knight turned around and found himself once more stumbling as the girl jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Looks like Alice let you come along after all!" Ace smiled.

"Yep!" the girl quickly stated, hoping to drop the subject.

"So," the young man rubbed his hands together, "Now that we're traveling together, where you want to go?"

"Anywhere you go its fine with me!" Mamoru responded.

"Well let's get started," he finished.

Then the two began to walk down the frosty lane. It was all going fine…except there was one small detail….

"Ani! Wait up!"

…She couldn't keep up with him.

"Wait!" she huffed. The knight, causally strolling along, looked down at the girl, panting with her hands on her knees.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ace asked.

"You...***HEH-HUH***…***HE-HUH***… walk…***HEH-HUH***…too…fast…" the child panted.

"Huh? I'm walking the way I usually do," the man commented.

"Well…***HEH-HUH***… that's too…***HEH-HUH***…fast…" the child responded.

"This is a problem, "he sighed, rubbing the back of his copper locks. He pondered for a moment, continuing his absent-minded abrading when something came across his mind.

"I know! Hey Mamoru…" the knight called.

The child looked up into his face, a wide grin on stretched on. For a moment, she was baffled until she felt herself rise into the air then squashed against the man's broad chest.

"How about I'd carry you until you start getting your energy back?" he suggested.

"That might take a while…" the girl added coyly.

"That's okay, I don't mind holding a cute girl in my arms for a while," he beamed.

"Flirt!" the child accused, pointing a finger at him.

"You got me!" Ace laughed, raising his hand.

* * *

They chuckled as the seasons changed; the ivory blanket covering the ground and trees was shed off. Only soon green was the new white. The warm weather made the young girl snuggle closer to the man's chest, enjoying the free ride and feeling of familiar warm strong arms surrounding her. It seemed it was going to be completely normal trip, strange for the tendency of the knight's journeys…

_***KYAAH!***_

_***SPLASH!***_

Correction, it was just another one of Ace's adventures. The two sat on the edge of a lake, the knight's jacket hanging up on a tree branch. The brown backpack hung along with them, still perfectly dry.

"Mou~* Ani! How could you not see that you were about walk off a cliff into a lake!" the young girl pouted as she took of her red jacket, and twisted and rung it, hoping the get some water out of her jacket.

"Sorry, you were just so cute, I couldn't help myself. How could I pay attention when there's a cute girl close to me!" the knight grinned.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," the girl grumbled, "You're always like this!"

"Always like this? How do you know that?" the young man asked.

The kid's face was then splashed red, she stammered, "I...uh…heard about from Alice-ane!"

"Hmm…well I have gone on trips with Alice before…" Ace mumbled, his carmine red eyes staring up at the matching sky.

"_Phew! That was close!" A few more seconds and the secret would be out! Ane would not be happy if I spilled the beans…" _the girl thought, _"Though…at least I know that Dad hasn't changed a bit…"_The child beamed to herself.

The sky suddenly dyed itself black with specks of white and silver.

"Well, looks like time to set up camp and hit the hay," the knight commented, "You go change out of those wet clothes."

"No peeking!" the girl cried.

"I won't! I promise!" he added.

Her eyes shifted her glance rather sly. "Alright, but I'll still be watching out for you."

* * *

Mamoru strolled quickly into the bushes. Leaning her backpack against an oak tree, she unlatched to the button on the flap and took out two dark colored pieces of clothing; in their place, she laid her day clothes. In the blink of an eye, she wore jet-black flannels with red heart shaped buttons. She took the ribbon from her hair, the auburn curls falling down to her shoulders. She quickly dashed out of the hedges, dragging her knapsack, to find a wide white tent in the clearing that Ace once stood.

"_Ane sure is fast when it comes to setting up the tents, I wonder where he is," _her mind mused.

The girl's burgundy orbs scanned across the area, yet the young man remained missing. A sudden light came on in the tent; a shadow seemed to be fiddling around with a kerosene lamp. The child ran over to the canvas, and quickly over the fabric door.

There were two blankets, two pillows, one lamp and one knight inside the hogan.

"Well, there you are. I thought for a minute, I'd have to go searching in the woods for you," Ace chuckled.

"Mamo-chan is bad at directions, but you are worse Ani!" Mamoru sneered.

"Yeah, I guess that's true," he admitted. He watched the young girl as she opened her pack, taking out the mocha colored book and a simple jet-black fountain pen. She turned so that the over half the pages were on the left side. With a simple pop, the pen lid came off. Soon enough, the sound of a scratching pen seem to fill the tent.

"So what are you doing, Mamoru?" the knight asked after a few seconds of endless scribbling.

"I'm writing my story, of course," the child answered promptly.

"Your story?" the young man repeated, his tone and face dipped in the same confusion.

"Yep! My mom gave me this journal, so that whenever I go with my dad or get lost, I can always write down where I go and what I've seen. My mom love stories and books, she tells me stories all the time. She told me that life is story, we are the main characters following where the stories goes. Sometimes, we see things, but there is no one else to see them, or if there is someone, they might see things differently. So mom wants me to write all the things I see, especially if she is not there. I want to fill it up fill of all the memories I have, so that I can share them with her," Mamoru explained.

"Wow…so that book has a lot of memories in it," Ace commented.

"Yep as many memories as I can recall since I got this journal," the girl replied, she closed the book and held it close to her chest.

"Hey…am I in there?" the young man questioned.

"Huh?" now it was the child's turn to be befuddled.

"You said that you wrote down your memories, I'm a part of a few of them, right?" he added.

"Well," she started coyly, "let me see…"

She began to flip back to the page she last wrote on, she began to read,

"Today, I went on an adventure with a friend of mine, Ace-ani. He's sort of weird."

"Ouch! That hurts!" the knight cried in fake shock.

"Hey! No interrupting!" she called.

"Okay…okay…" the man, grumbled.

"Good! Ace-ani gets lots easily and tends to not look were he is going. I think he is also a flirt. Yet, I think he's kind of nice since he carried me when I got tired and he always had a smile on his face, so I kinda like Ace-ani," the girl finished.

The man stared silently at the kid, going over what she said, he got lost in his thoughts when a slight tug at his shoulder caused him to look down, finding Mamoru fidgeting, her fists rubbing against one another.

"Ani? Is it okay if a sleep in your bed tonight?" the girl asked, "Whenever I go camping with my dad, I always sleep with him…this is the first time I've gone camping without my dad…"

"Sure, climb on in," the man patted his bed.

The child lay down and snuggled close to the man.

"Goodnight, Ani," Mamoru whispered.

"Night," Ace responded.

* * *

_After I finally got home, Alice-ane got mad at me for leaving. She even smacked me._

The small child stopped writing in her book to massage the bump she felt still on her noggin.

_But it was fun going out with Ace-ani, I hope I can do it soon!_

The girl shut the book, and then put it back on its spot in the shelf, and walked out the door. A wide

beam on her face.

* * *

*Mou-A sound of irritation, can be translated with Geez! or Man!

**READ THIS NOW!**

**Please review! I get the feeling no one really reads these author's notes I leave for you guys to read…):**

**Please review! Onegai~**

**Daisuki~**


	17. Chapter 17 Storytime with Papa!

**I offer now the fan fiction author's traditional, I'm sorry for the wait…I've been busy with my real life… blah blah blah okay moving on. **

**Thanks for all the reviews! Though I think, I got a few flames… **

**But here's a chapter to knock your socks off!**

**Anyway! Let us get back to the story!**

**Nothing is mine only my girls (and one guy).**

* * *

Chapter 17 The Wish to Live Happily Ever After! Story time with Papa!

The two maids heads swished from side to side, like watching the ball bounce in a tennis court. Back and forth, up and down the hall, a girl had her hands on a rag, sliding it down the seashell pink tile floor. When she took off the scarf off her head, her white ears popped out, the floor sparkled and you could see the ceiling.

"Wow! That child sure is fast," one of the dark haired women stated.

Her companion nodded, "She looks like Minister Peter, but when it comes to their work ethnic then they couldn't be polar opposites."

The girl simply patted her skirt, this one a short skirt barely reaching past her hips, and stretched her hands over her head and started down the hallway. She passed down the hall, finally stopping at a chestnut door, her fist bumped against the door a few times.

"Who is it?" a female voice called out.

"Just me, Natsuki," the rabbit called back.

"Please come in, we've been expecting you," the voice told.

The small girl stood on her toes, her finger bobbing up and down until they finally latched the golden doorknob.

With a slight twist and push, the oak door moved out of the way, allowing the girl to see the same room she had seen earlier, elegant architecture with cute stuff toys leaning against the walls, their glass or button eyes had a gleam that made them looked almost pleadingly, wishing to be played with. In the center of the fluff and stitches, a pair of purple haired people sat their hands on fine china cups.

"Hello there, Natsuki .We were wondering where you were," the queen stated.

"Sorry for being tardy, there were some maids who needed some help, so I wiped the floor for them," the girl replied, rubbing the back of her head with her hand.

"Why don't you come over here with us? The strawberry shortcake is very delicious today," the prince offered.

"I'm fine I don't really need anything," the girl stated but her body had other plans.

_***GUU~~****_

Immediately the sound of hunger made the white rabbit's face turn as pink as the blossoms on the trees in the spring season.

"Well looks like someone isn't being honest," the boy smirked, his tone teasing.

Her hands quickly shot out in different directions, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to be so rude."

"Not at all," Vivaldi chuckled, "It was rather adorable that your body is more honest."

"Well, no point fighting it, I guess I'll take a little slice," Natsuki sighed. She strolled on over to the small table, where a slice of white cake with a strawberry was waiting for her.

"Thank you so much!" the rabbit squealed as she took a fork and stabbed the corner facing her. A morsel stuck the spiked edges of the utensil. She lifted it and soon her mouth covered the end. "This is so good! Nothing beats sweets when you've worked hard!"

"Your hard work shows Natsuki," Masahiko commented. One would think there was a sly tone to his voice.

"Huh? Really? I guess the floor does look a lot shinier…," she mumbled, she lowered her head to hide the flush on her cheeks.

"I can see it already, even without leaving this room," the boy added.

The girl's head tilted her bent to show that something puzzled the young girl. "What do you mean?"

The prince only grinned and began to rub his cheek with his finger. That didn't help. The minister's daughter turned to the queen, her scarlet eyes questioned the monarch as well. The woman smiled, laughed to herself for a few short seconds and pulled a lilac satin handkerchief. The soft fabric gently caressed the rabbit's cheek and when it left, the gray smudge the girl spotted quickly reminded her of her activities.

"Oh I'm sorry, I probably look like a mess don't I?" Natsuki mumbled. Her face felt so hot it would remain that way for the rest of the day.

"No, no that worry about it," Vivaldi chuckled.

"Well, I'm having a merry ol' time, but I am being beckoned," the lad stated.

"What beckons you?" the monarch questioned.

"Nature."

With that, word alone, caused the Queen of Hearts and The Prime Minister of Heart's daughter to burst into hopeless giggles.

"Well, if you excuse me," he excused himself, shifting away from the table and then with a silent thud of the wooden door, the prince was gone. Leaving the two females to themselves to chat.

"So how things going with Masahiko? Are you two getting along?" The albino child inquired.

"We find him a delight to talk to and a pleasing person to have around," the monarch grinned, "In fact; he is probably the _**only **_man who doesn't vex us."

The young rabbit giggled and exhaled, "It must be nice to stay close to your mother, even if she isn't your mother yet."

A feeling clenched Vivaldi's heart, as she stared at the child. She understood immediately what the child meant. This child was trapped, unable to see her mother. A cage made of years separated her from her family. Yet, even leashed, unable to reach her mother, she still could see her father. Even despite the fact that the Minister of Hearts did not have a daughter yet, he would have one at least in the future. And here she was, her mind full of the warm memories of Peter White, her father. She still loved him, and she still wished to be close to him.

The monarch pushed another slice of pastry towards the girl.

"Oh, Onee-chan, I'm not hungry. I'm fine," Natsuki, said, grateful yet all right.

"We believe that White is in his office, if he isn't playing truant again. He's been there for a few hours," the Queen mentioned as her hand shifted a cup and it's small round porcelain table towards the girl.

It took a few seconds, but the child soon beamed. In the blink of an eye, the monarch found a shawl, made of the girl's arms, wrapped tightly around her neck.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" the rabbit child repeated with the energy and enthusiasm fit for her age.

"You're welcome," the monarch grinned.

With a swift motion, Natsuki pressed her lips on Vivaldi's soft cheek. Then in the blink of an eye, the desert, the tea and the girl were gone.

* * *

The scratching sound of a quill, making its mark on the paper, filled the room. The senseless paperwork, endless signatures, was the less glamorous part of his role. Moreover, the most troublesome and irritating.

"There it's done," the pen settled in a neck of a black bottle.

_Thud!_

Peter's head was on his desk, evening red eyes stared up at afternoon sky. Admiring the color and remembering how it was the same as her dress.

"_Oh Alice, how I wish I could have spent the day with you! That would be a dream come true…" _Another sigh escaped his lips, they turned down and once more, he exhaled.

_***KNOCK!* *KNOCK!***_

"_If that's another soldier with more work…" _His finger slipped around a wooden knob tugging at it slightly. A compartment revealed itself, the clock that always hung at his side, now lying on the bottom of the drawer. His fingers pulled up at the chain and within a second, the ticking had silenced, as his finger delicately touching the trigger.

"Hello there, Onii-chan!" Once more, there was a gentle ticking beat against the gloved hand. In addition, this was not his own pulse. It couldn't have been his. It was going too slow!

"Oh Natsuki! I didn't expect you!" He stammered, hiding the clock under the desk.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think was going to scare you, but I wanted to give a snack!" The child smiled. She strolled over to the desk, laying the dishes on the smooth counter.

"Well, thank you very much," the minister thanked.

They soon started chatting…

Or rather arguing…

"What do you mean you don't like working?" the child questioned.

"It's annoying," the man retorted, as another crumb entered his mouth.

"Well, it's important to work, or else it will just pile up!" the girl exclaimed.

"Even if I do work, there will always be more work for me to do," the adult stated.

"But you don't you want to live happily ever after?" the daughter looked up at her future father, eyes shining with chagrin, her mind trying to comprehend his words.

"What's happily ever after? I've never heard of it," the honest statement came out of the man's mouth; he raised the cup to it with the drink.

"Oh, it's where you marry the one you love and be together forever," the girl explained with a youthful grin and cherry blush.

_***SPOOT***_

The words "marry," "love", "together", "forever", seemed to have held magic qualities for all of a sudden the tea spurted out of the man's mouth.

"Onii-chan, that was gross," Natsuki frankly spoke, her mouth showing its disgust.

"_**WHAT DID YOU SAY?" **_Peter vociferated.

"That was gross?" the quote was spoken in a thrown off tone.

"No…the other…_***HACK***_… part…" his voice has rough, as if rubbed by sandpaper, due to his earlier actions.

"Oh, about living happily ever after?" the young female questioned.

"Yeah…what is it?" the older male asked.

"You don't know?" more confusion set in the girl's mind.

The man just mumbled, "No." His snow-white bangs shifted as his head turned.

"Haven't you ever read a fairytale? They always have happily ever after at the end," the girl inquired.

"I have heard of them, but I've never read one," countered the adult.

"Didn't your mama or your papa ever read you one?" pried the child.

"No," he claimed. He was not lying. The cold almost lonely tone convinced Natsuki of that.

"_I never knew that…Papa used to be so sad…he's always so happy…" _theyoung lady pondered, her face frowned.

The girl suddenly beamed, "Then I'll tell you one!"

"Huh?" the sound of confusion came out of the man's mouth.

"You got all of your work done, right? So now you can relax, while I tell you a story," the little lady explained.

Peter watched in fascination, as Natsuki cleared her throat and started,

"This one is my mama's favorite story, and it's called Cinderella.

* * *

_Once upon a time, there was once a widowed nobleman and his daughter, Cinderella. Although he was a very kind father and Cinderella was a kind and lovely girl, her father thought that she needed a mother's love, kindness, and guidance in order to become a true lady. Therefore, he married a woman from a good family with two daughters of her own. For a while, the family was a happy one, until the day Cinderella's father grew ill and passed away. It was then that the stepmother showed here true colors. She was mean and cruel, and she hated Cinderella because she was more beautiful and charming than her own daughters. So the stepmother forced Cinderella to do all the housework, while she spent all the family fortune on her own daughters, buying them fancy clothes while Cinderella was forced to wear rags. Her stepsisters were just as cruel to Cinderella, just like their mother. Cinderella grew up in a loveless home._

_As the years grew by, despite the fact her sister were better dressed and pampered, while Cinderella was forced to be a servant for her own family, Cinderella was still more lovely, kind, and graceful than her stepsisters could ever dream of being. Even after all the years of cruelty and humiliation, she found hope in her dreams that one day she would find true love and be taken away from her mean family. _

_One day, an invitation from the royal palace came to Cinderella's house. There would be a royal ball and, rumor had it, that the handsome prince would be choosing himself a bride. Cinderella soon became busy trying to prepare her stepsisters for the ball. When the day of the ball arrived, the family was all dressed in beautiful ball gowns, except for Cinderella who was still in her rags. Cinderella wanted to go to, but her family wouldn't let her. _

_Cinderella watched as her stepfamily rode of the ball, their laughter and teasing ringing in her ears. Cinderella started to cry, thinking that all her dreams were for nothing, when suddenly a fairy godmother came out of nowhere._

_She said, "Dear Cinderella, I've been watching over you for a long time. I know how long you have been working and how long you have been dreaming. And tonight, I'm going to make your dreams come true, now would you please bring me a pumpkin and some mice?"_

_Cinderella did as she was asked. Then with the wave of the fairy godmother's wand, Cinderella found herself dressed in the most gorgeous gown she had ever seen. There was splendid golden carriage with four snow white horses, right were the pumpkin and mice once stood. Cinderella couldn't believe her eyes, she looked at her reflection in a pond when she noticed something sparkle under her dress. She lifted it up to find her shoes were now pure glass._

"_Oh thank you Fairy Godmother," Cinderella thanked._

"_Now remember Cinderella, the magic only lasts until midnight, then everything my magic has touched will go back to its original state. So you must leave the ball before midnight, okay?" the fairy godmother explained. _

"_Okay! I promise I'll be back before midnight!" Then Cinderella jumped into the carriage, heading off to the ball._

_At the palace, all of the eligible young women were swarming the prince. He left to go out onto one of the balconies. When he finally got there, he sighed. This ball was supposed to help find the one he truly loved, not to be squished by countless frilly and poufy princess-wannabes. He sighed once more and just as he turned to go back to more bowing and dancing, and of course, more high heels stepping on his foot, there was a fanfare. He turned to gaze down where he saw Cinderella's golden carriage. When Cinderella stepped out of the carriage, he was completely mesmerized. He never had seen such a beautiful girl. He raced back into the ballroom, to see her at the top of the stairs. _

_All of the sudden, everything halted. All of the music, waltzing, laughter, they just stopped when Cinderella made her appearance. As she made her way down the stairs, the prince made his way across the dance floor. When she finally got off the last step, she found the prince waiting for her._

"_Oh your majesty, it's so nice to meet you," Cinderella greeted, she bowed her head and lifted her dress with both her hands._

"_It's an honor to meet you as well, would you honor me with a dance?" the prince replied, his hand out in the air. She laid her gloved hand on the one offered, the prince's grip got tighter as he pulled her The music began playing and the dancing started up. _

_As Cinderella and the prince danced around, they forgot all about the other people staring at them. The prince was enchanted by Cinderella's charm and grace and it was the first time in a long time that someone was this gentle and kind to Cinderella. _

_As they twirled around, all admired them. Many people couldn't take their eyes off Cinderella._

"_Wow, she sure is pretty."_

"_I wonder who she is."_

"_Maybe she is a princess from a different kingdom."_

_The stepsisters' eyes scolded the girl in the prince's arms._

"_Who does she think she is?" one stepsister scoffed._

"_Where did she come from?" the other one growled._

"_He'll grow tired of her soon," their mother assured. _

_However, he didn't, he only danced with Cinderella for the rest of the night._

_Cinderella sighed, placing her head on the prince's chest, "I wish this night can last forever…"_

_His whispered in her ear, "As do I, I hope this night never ends as well._

_Nevertheless, sadly…_

_***BONG***_

_Shock filled Cinderella's mind, as she quickly shifted her head to get a better view of the origin of the sound. There was a tall tower with a clock, its hands both pointing straight up._

"_OH NO!" Cinderella cried, and she quickly dashed away._

"_WAIT!" The prince called, "COME BACK!" _

_***BONG* **_

_Yet still she ran, until something caught her wrist. She twisted to see the prince staring at her with determined eyes._

"_WHY ARE YOU LEAVING?" the prince asked._

"_I'm…I'm sorry, BUT I HAVE TO LEAVE!" Cinderella cried._

"_At least tell me your name, please!" the prince begged._

"_My name… my name is…" _

_***BONG***_

"_I'm sorry! Good bye!" Cinderella yelled and started to race again._

"_Wait!" the prince hollered, but as before, she continued her race. _

_However, but because she wasn't paying attention, she tripped and when she stood up, one of her precious slippers slipped off her foot. She reached down to get it but the prince was catching up to her. The fear of being seen in ugly rags by the prince and of being recognized by her family gripped her heart, and so she fled leaving the shoe behind. The prince didn't notice the shoe and continued to pursue Cinderella. She ran back to the carriage and was able to get home before midnight passed._

_***BONG***_

_The last rung of the clock went off as Cinderella reached her door. In a golden sparkle that blew in the wind, where the golden carriage and white horses once proudly stood, only a lonely sunset orange pumpkin and dirty gray mice stood. The gown began ragged and patched._

_Cinderella sighed, "I guess my wish didn't come true, but at least I got live in a dream for a while," when she heard a light tap. She looked down to find the other slipper on her foot. She gently took it off and cradled it. _

"_A memento of a dream…" she thought, and she went inside her house, to go continue her dream…in her sleep. _

_The prince had tried to find Cinderella, but he couldn't find her. As he went back to the palace, he saw something sparkle and realized it was her slipper. He picks it up and vows to find Cinderella._

_The very next day, the prince started off on his quest. Since he only had a slipper, he decided to go try the slipper on the foot on all the maidens in the land, the one whose foot fit the slipper had to be the one he loved. He went all over the kingdom, but the feet were either too big or too small. Even if they were the right size, the girls would scream because it hurt if they tried to walk or dance, because only Cinderella was dainty and light and had mettle to dance around so gracefully in the shoes. _

_After three days of seeing nothing but the toes and heels of girls, the prince couldn't help but feels as if the girl was just a dream. Yet, all he had to do was gaze at the slipper and his hope would be restored._

_He finally reached Cinderella's house._

"_Move over! I can't see!" one of the stepsisters screeched._

"_He's come for me! I just know it!" the other one sighed._

"_Dream on! He's mine!" the first one hollered._

"_Quiet girls! Just sit patiently and wait to try on the slipper," the stepmother commanded._

"_Can I try on the slipper too?" Cinderella asked._

_All three women started laughing._

"_You see the prince? In those rags? HAHA!" they chortled._

"_You stay outside, wait in the garden until the prince leaves," the stepmother demanded._

"_Yes…stepmother," Cinderella sighed and she walked out of her house to the garden. As the prince walked up to the house, he saw Cinderella leave the house. He noted that she was female, another pair of feet that the slipper would touch._

"_I wonder who she is…," he pondered._

_He got into the house, and tried the slipper on both the stepsisters' feet, but of course, they didn't fit. _

"_Is there other maidens in the house?" the prince asked._

"_No, your majesty," the stepmother replied._

"_But I was told you have three daughters," the prince stated, "and I saw a girl leaving the house!" _

"_Well, I do have one stepdaughter but she's too dirty and she couldn't be the one," the stepmother explained._

"_I decided to try this slipper on __**every **__maiden, and that is what I'm going to. Bring her to me at once!" the prince ordered._

_Therefore, the stepmother called Cinderella back into the house, the prince waited patiently, staring out the window._

"_Oh please, let me find my love soon," the prince, pleaded silently._

"_You wanted to see me your majesty?" a female voice caused the prince to face Cinderella, who was bowing, so her face couldn't be seen._

"_No please get up," the prince asked._

_She raised it, allowing him to see her lovely face. In that instant, the prince imagined her in the same ball gown he saw the mysterious girl wearing. Cinderella sat down, taking of her shoes while the prince knelt down and slipped the slipper on her foot._

"_It's just a coincidence, sire!" the stepmother yelled._

"_No it's not," Cinderella, countered and at that moment, she reached into her apron and pulled out the other slipper. She put it on and stood up, and twirled around to show that she was not in pain._

_The prince and Cinderella immediately embraced._

"_I never stopped stop searching for you," the prince whispered, "Sorry for making you wait for me."_

"_It's okay," Cinderella replied, "I've been waiting for you all my life. I would have waited for you, forever."_

_Cinderella and the prince kissed. A few days later, Cinderella and the prince were married. _

_And they lived happily ever after._

_THE END."_

* * *

Peter had stared at the child throughout the whole story, starry eyed like a child. He had never heard a story like that, one that started like a tragedy but ended up having a happy conclusion.

"So how was that? I'm not as good as my mama, but I hoped you liked it," Natsuki said.

"It was a very good story, I really like it," the minister complimented.

"Thank you! Suki-chan is really happy!" the girl beamed, a light rose blush bloomed on her face.

"Although, I've been thinking…"the rabbit man started.

"About what?" the rabbit child asked.

"How does working hard get you happily ever after?" the adult asked.

"Well, think about it. If Cinderella didn't work as hard as she did and was kind as she was, the fairy godmother wouldn't notice her and Cinderella wouldn't have gotten to go ball. So that's why I work hard, so that way my dreams come… true…" the child let out a large yawn.

_***AHH~***_

"Sorry, Cinderella is usually a bed time story for me… I get kind of sleepy after she tells me the story," the child confessed.

"It's okay, I don't mind," the man said, "You can go to sleep."

Natsuki crossed her arms, laying them on the desk. She rested her tiny head on her makeshift pillow, an only in a few minutes the soft breathing of sleep filled the minister's office. The owner of the room gently patted the girl's ivory curls and stood up, crossing across the blood red carpet.

He now stood at the window, gazing at the recently painted ebony sky. His thoughts pondered on the tale that he just heard.

"_Cinderella grew up in a loveless home…"_

"_I know what that is like…" _ Peter reminiscence.

"_Look at him! He's so weird, look at those colors!" a child's teasing tone yelled._

"_There's no way, for that freak to be my child," an older voice growled._

"_Yet…" _the man pondered.

"_Cinderella and the prince were married and they lived happily ever after."_

"_I wonder, if someday I…"_ the albino man started. His thoughts stopped by the sound of church bells going off in his head. An image of a girl all in white, a thin veil covering her face, yet you could still see her two aquamarine eyes gazing lovingly at him.

"_Peter…" _the female whispered.

His cheeks beamed crimson, a wide smile stretched to both sides of his face.

"_Yes, that would be…__**my **__happily ever after…" _Peter's flame red eyes stared up at the stars, they still flickered due the story he had just heard and daydream he just had, admiring their sparkle.

* * *

For the next period, the sky dressed itself up in a mix of peach orange and apple red. Three women sat at a table with white linens reaching the floor made of grass.

"So, Natsuki… How was your time with Peter?" the monarch asked.

"It was fun! Suki-chan got to tell Onii-chan a story!" the rabbit girl, sitting on the queen's left, boasted.

"A story?" the famous foreigner, sitting across the table from the child, asked.

"Yep, he told me, that he never read a fairy tale before so I told him one my favorite, Cinderella!" the child explained.

"He's never… read a fairytale?" the maiden stuttered.

"Nope! And his mama and papa never read him one either!" the child confirmed.

Vivaldi let out an elegant sigh, "We rarely remember White from long ago, but we do recall maids gossiping that his childhood was a cold and cruel one."

"I…I never knew," Alice stuttered. A sullen mood gripped her beating heart. Although she knew she had every right to hate the man who had kidnapped her and forcibly kissed her, and yet to find out this fact made her feel as if she was being mean to a helpless child. A tinge of pity made the rabbit man, at least at that moment, not so bad.

It was then, however, that the man in her thoughts reached up and hugged her, knocking out of her chair.

"**OH ALICE! I MISSED YOU!" **the man gushed as he smothered her with his affection.

"**PETER! LET GO OF ME!" **the damsel screeched. Her hands pressed against his chest, her arms straight as she tried to set herself free.

"Oh Alice! I love you! I know someday, you'll finally tell me you love me too, and we'll get married and live happily ever after!" the minister beamed.

"What? I'll never marry a pervert like you!" a sudden blush glowed on Alice's face and she mustered up all of her strength to get the man off her. When she succeeded, she dashed away, only to have the rabbit man chase after her.

"You know, Vivaldi-onee-chan, I think that _this_ fairytale…might take a while before it gets to it's happily ever after," Natsuki commented.

"It would seem so," the queen agreed.

* * *

**GUU- the sound effect for a stomach growl,**

**There we are one more chapter in this story. In my next story, I'm going to try to get into more into the background of the Roleholders (you know there family, upbringing, etc.), I added some little quotes to reveal some of (what I believe is) Peter's past.**

**I also apologize if my telling of Cinderella might have bored you, I felt if I just made Natsuki say "Once upon a time" then write something about time passing then make her say "they got married and lived happily ever after." would be rather boring. **

**Remember that this is something I do in the very little free time I have as a teenage otako (my nickname for female otakus) in high school, and I don't have to do it. However, if you people encourage me with lots of reviews, I might push some of my straight from hell geometry homework aside to write these chapters faster. **

**DAISUKI~**


	18. Chapter 18 What a Rose Means!

School is almost over…I hope I don't have to take too many exams…

I reread my own story and I notice that in chapter 2 I wrote 3/14/22, it was supposed to 3/14/14. Please correct this in your mind… Also Alice forgot to introduce Tora in Chapter 14… what kind of writer am I?

I don't anything just my kids (their not **my **kids, but… you get the idea.)

* * *

Chapter 18 The Blooms in Father's Garden! What a Rose Means!

"No…"

Akahana scanned around the forest. She shifted around, trying to get herself out of the trouble and bush she was in. Her hands pushed through the cluster of auburn leaves, trying to find an island in the middle in the foliage ocean.

She finally stumbled out of the shrub. The noirette sighed, relief washing over her, but when she placed her hand on the top of her curls, it stopped when its traditional cover was not in its traditional place. The girl scoped to find the missing component in her looks. She found it, hanging on small branch, as if it had settled on a more natural hat rack.

Akahana sighed as she took the bowler back from the peg, and placed it back on top of the ebony curls. The child exhaled once more as she sat down by the roots of a maple. Her back hit the ground, her hands cupped to cushion her coal colored curls. She stared at the matching sky, covered in red and orange shades.

"_Maybe I'm __**too **__far in the past to find it…" _the voice in her mind grumbled. For a few moments, all she could hear was the sound of the wind weaving through the branches. It played with her bangs, trying to carry them off with them, but only a few maple leaves followed the breeze's invitation.

The girl was left to her own thoughts, _"I guess I should have known that I wouldn't find it… I know that the Blood Dupre I know is not the same one I've known all my life. __**That**__ one is my father and this one is …I don't know him that well… they seem similar…but the one I know is married and is kind father and is in completely in love with his wife. __**This **__one hasn't met my mother…at least I don't think… but I'm not getting into that rat's nest, at least not now. Yet, I always thought, if one thing was true... is that …"_

A sudden gust caused the hat to kick off the child's head. For a few moments, it soared, dancing along with the wind. However, the gust left its fabric partner behind, causing the bowler to crash into the ground.

"Boy, this sure is a troublesome hat," the child sighed. It only took a few steps before they had their reunion. As she picked up the hat, she spotted something. There was something hidden underneath the black fabric.

A single red rose blossom.

"_What?" _Akahana pondered.

Curiosity made the girl pick up the flower, cupping her hands as if she was holding water. She stared at the blossom, wide-eyed.

"_It looks like…"_

Her thumb gently petted the magenta petals.

"_It's so soft…it feels like…"_

Finally, she decided to put it to the final test. She slowly lifted the bud to her nose taking in the fragrance. Immediately, images of a million of these flowers surrounded her while being in the arms of a man in a top hat with flowers just like them decorating his top hat and a woman one of the beautiful blooms in her hair, came back to her.

"_It really is one of Father's roses! Maybe I can still find it!" _Akahana mind squealed. She quickly scanned the forest of oranges and browns, hoping to spot some more of the burgundy blossoms. Taking a few steps, her vision soon included more of the buds on a hedge a good dash away.

Immediately the child sped up, as if her target would get farther away from her if she didn't catch up to it. As the girl got closer, the scrub got larger soon enough; it stood shadowing the small child in its shadow.

"Please excuse me for the intrusion," she mumbled to bush, bowing slightly.

A few seconds, the little lassie jumped into the hedge. After having a head on one side while two legs sticking out for a few seconds, the girl shook herself forwards. After a few thrusts, she tumbled out of the scrub.

"_**OWCH!" **_Akahana hollered when she collided with the grass, belly first. She rubbed her head, noting once more of the hat's disappearance. However, it showed some loyalty by staying its master side, _this time._

As she wobbled up, taking a few steps to balance herself. She picked up the bowler and set up to her dark ebony curls. The girl then started taking in her surroundings. A warmth of joy and nostalgic rushed through her veins.

"I'm back…" she whispered. A blush the same color as the roses surrounded her and a wide childish beam bloomed on her face.

"_**I'M BACK!" **_the noirette screamed and started laughing madly. She started twirling around like a top, with arms out wide. She continued laughing and enjoying being back in a place she had visited since before she could even crawl.

It felt like yesterday, she was out here with her older brother and sister, happily just playing around. The familiar tenor tone called out, the three turned to see a man with a familiar top hat waving to them. The children raced, the winner, Akahana this time, was scooped up in their father's arms. They began to walk over to a tree in the middle of the red circle, and there was a woman was sitting near its roots, a pile of books leaned towards her. When the man sat down, he set the girl in the middle between himself and the woman. The female took the top most book, and then opened it. Soon enough, everyone in the garden was captivated by the story weaved.

Akahana came back to the present day, and started walking over to the tree. She leaned on it for a second then strolled over to the bush, taking a whiff at one of the multiple flowers.

"_It feels like I was just here," _she thought. She opened her eyes and admired the deep shade on the petals. She turned her head to look at the other side of the garden, her eyes widened a little, with realization.

She quickly dashed towards a bush and gently taking in two of the flowers, not taking them of their thorny branches, just spreading both her hands under the buds.

"_These are…the same."_

Akahana started in a mad dash, from one side to the other, and then she ran next to the green bush. When she finally got back to the roots, she sat down and rested her head.

"_I guess things __**are**__ different in this time…"_ the girl's mind guessed.

"_**AHHH~" **_a yawn escaped her lips. _"I feel kind of sleepy all of a sudden," _she thought, "_Maybe a quick nap wouldn't hurt." _

The noirette's hands reached up and her chest puffed out. She laid herself down on the ground, shifting the topper to hide her teal eyes from the sun. After a few minutes, she dozed off.

* * *

"Why did you bring that runt here? I know you like him, but that doesn't mean he had to follow you like a puppy…" the mafia boss grumbled as he stared at the boy in the monarch's arms.

"We couldn't help it. He followed me here when I trying to get here," the queen explained.

"Please excuse for following you, but I was just curious where Vivaldi-aneue-sama was going…" the small boy mumbled.

"Well, there no helping it, he will have to accompany us," the royal smiled, rubbing the plum, crown free, locks of the child.

"What reasoning is that, Aneki*****?" Blood asked.

"If we let him go now, he will probably want to know where we are going, so next time we want to come see you, he'll probably follow us again. That time, someone might spot him and then he will be followed. That wouldn't be a good idea, right Blood?" Vivaldi retorted.

A grimace came across the face of the Mad Hatter, what the queen said was right.

"So Masahiko, if we let you come with us, will you promise not to say a word of this to anyone?" the monarch asked.

"Mum is the word and also my new middle name!" the child chucked.

The two royalties giggled while the mafia just sighed. "Come on, let's get going."

The three continued their trip, down the path hidden in the forest back of the Hatter's territory. The two violet haired couple were happily strolling, behind their black haired escort. He stopped, his group halted as well, the younger member looked up at the older one, hoping for answer. The prince looked ahead and saw where they were.

Therein front of them, were a white archway in front of some stairs, leading to a few clearings, all of it surrounded by thousands, if not millions of red roses. Stone pathways ran abound, twisting around the garden.

"Aninue-sama's….garden…." the boy gasped, realizing the familiar sight. He had been coming to this garden even before Akahana did, of course since he was older. The open field of cultivated flowers held memories of playing with his generation of family members while the older generation would talk and laugh over tea underneath the oak. From the distance, he could see the same tree standing tall in the scarlet ring.

The queen looked down at the male child and smiled, "We remember the first time we saw this garden, and we were surprised as well. He may be a gangster, but he has a grand garden."

"Gangster…" the oldest mumbled and turned to the area, and noticed something lying down on the grass. "What's that?"

The three walked into the yard and indentified the object as the girl who allowed herself in the garden, no more than one hour before. Blood lifted her cap to find her eyes shut and noticed her slow breathing.

"What is she doing here? Especially asleep?" Vivaldi asked.

"Akahana likes to go to places so that way she can sleep, usually in places where people wouldn't find her, like sneaking into the nurse's office to get some sleep," the boy explained. He walked over to the young girl, taking the hat off her head.

"Come on, Akahana. Time to get up," Masahiko shook the girl's shoulder delicately.

Her lashes fluttered, adjusting to the light. The first thing she noticed was the small plum- haired child.

"Masahiko, I knew it!" the noirette squealed. She suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, cuddling the prince's cheek next to her own.

"What are you talking about?" the boy flustered, his face as red as the roses surrounding them.

"You just kissed me, didn't you?" the girl chuckled coyly.

"**WHAT YOU TALKING ABOUT! I NEVER DID THAT!"** Masahiko yelled.

"Are you sure? I thought the prince was _**supposed **_to wake the maiden up with a kiss," Akahana countered.

"**THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD DO THAT TO A GIRL WHILE SHE'S ASLEEP?" **the lad screamed.

"Oh okay…" the Mafioso's daughter, stated. One of her fingers was curling and uncurling itself in his direction. The boy took the hint and moved in a little closer to his cousin. Her lips were about an inch away from his ear, she covered the following words from the two spectators.

"_You can kiss me now, if you want."_

Purple hair stood straight up and the prince dashed behind the red skirt of the queen. He popped his head to the audience and hollered, **"NO WAY!" **then he hid behind the woman once more.

The three others started to chuckle at the boy's actions.

"So little lady, how did you get here?" Blood cut in.

"Um…well.. That's a long story…" Akahana mumbled.

"So that's the story, you were just wondering around and found my garden?" the Mafioso asked, hoping to get the facts straight. The four sat at a small table, each with a cup of the finest tea the Hatter had to offer.

"Yep! That's the truth!" the girl hoped her lie was convincing.

"Well, it is fortunate that you came. We have been missing you," the queen stated.

"I missed you as well, Aneue!" the female child squealed and jumped onto the monarch. Their cheeks rubbed against each other.

"You are just so cute!" the royal gushed.

Blood lifted his cup to his lips, hoping the drink would help soothe the sudden nauseas feeling that had grown just by watching the two females. Although, while the queen had her eyes shut, the girl's orbs shifted around, as if waiting for something to jump out.

"What's wrong young lady? You seem to be distracted," the man said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that this garden happens to look a lot like my father's garden," the child responded.

"Is that so? What are the similarities?" Vivaldi asked, curious about her brother and his future.

The girl got down from the queen's lap and strolled over to one of the hedges. She snapped two roses from the bush. She turned around, a flower in each open palm, showing them to the audience in the garden.

"What do see?" Akahana asked.

"Two roses?" Blood responded. _"Wasn't that obvious? What could this child be trying say?"_

"Yes take a closer look, do you see anything…you know… _different _about these roses from the others like the color?"

"No. They're the same as the rest," the hatter replied. "The same as any other flower in my garden, especially the color."

"That's it! They're the same as the others," the girl explained, "My father's garden has different colored roses. There is a section with only red ones, but mostly you can see then red roses mixed in with yellow roses, white roses, pink roses, orange roses, lavender ones, there are even green ones."

"Why plant so many different colors, isn't red enough. Is there a need for the others?" The queen asked. She, herself, only liked red roses. If she saw one white rose, she would chop off the heads of all the gardeners head for the offense.

"Don't you know, Aneue, each color has a different meaning," the little damsel answered.

Both the adults made a sound of confusion causing both of the children to chuckle.

"My mother told me that each flower has a meaning," Akahana started, "When you give a certain flower to a person, you are giving them a message. For example, an orchid means luxury and beauty, a daisy means innocence, every flower has a different meaning. Even the two of the same flower, if they have different colors can mean different things. A red rose means 'I love you', beauty, and passion. A pink rose means 'thank you', grace and gentleness. A white rose means 'I am worthy of you', innocence, and secrecy. Every color means something different. It conveys a different emotion you may have. My mother loves all colored roses; she loves the fact that they mean something different, even though they look alike. My father planted different colored rose show my mother how much how much he loves her. To show her all the different feelings he has for her."

The moment when the last syllable left the child's lips, the Vivaldi's violet eyes shifted towards the man beside her. She knew for a fact who the child was talking about. She was staring right at him. She pondered whom the female who had stolen her brother's heart. The first candidate was the first foreigner who fell into this world, and yet the maiden she knew never showed interest in roses as the woman the claimed as her mother. There was no way to prove who the Mafioso's wife was, but the queen still couldn't help but wonder.

Blood was completely oblivious to the seriousness of his sister's thoughts. He only concluded to that the child grew up in a warm home, with a mother and father who loved her dearly. He let a little sentimentality get the better of him; he began to recall the warmth he once knew as a child. He turned to look at his female guest. He caught himself in her serious gaze.

"What is wrong, Aneki?" the man asked.

The last word snapped the seriousness out of the monarch's looks. For a few moments, there was an awkward pause between the two.

"Oh, it's nothing," the queen assured.

The girl returned to her seat. She lifted the drink to the lips and immediately made a face of disgust.

"What's wrong?" the prince asked. He had been sitting, simply listening to his cousin's speech.

"My tea has gone cold," Akahana sighed.

The group around the table started to laugh. For a moment, for all of them, it brought fond memories back. Of being part of a family.

* * *

Only until the sky wore a dark black dress with little white pearls sown in, did the two royals and the female child leave the man to tend his garden. The moon was the only lantern he needed to see what he was doing. He kneeled before his bushes; a few wilted blooms fell down as he clipped them from the bushes. His thoughts were simply on the flowers until something covered his marine eyes.

A gasp escaped his lips. He twisted his head, hoping to shake off whoever dared to cover his orbs. Finally he let out a growl, **"WHO"S THERE?"**

"**GUESS WHO!" **a cry came out of a child's throat.

The man twisted his head fast enough to free himself. When he looked behind him, he found Akahana beaming happily at him.

"_Awww!_ Aniue, you're supposed to guess, before you look!" she giggled.

"Just were you doing?" the words were expressed in a tone of anger.

The child crossed her arms behind her head and started to stroll away. "I was going help you out with your roses. I always help my father with his flowers. I'll just leave if you don't want me."

The adult sighed. He knew that night would only provide cover for attacks on the young girl. Besides the enviable danger he would put the child in, he also knew that he would get an earful from the foreigner. The last time he had encountered the maiden wasn't exactly a pleasant one. He rubbed his ear, as if the pain he felt in remembering the brutal scolding. He shuddered at the thought of the teen yelling at him, although whether it was in fear or pleasure, he didn't know.

"If you want to help, then pick out some of the roses," the Mafioso mumbled, patting the ground next to him.

The child's face brightened and immediately kneeled on the grass. For a few moments, there was only a few snips and snaps caused by the two people at work. Occasionally, a pair of marine orbs would shift to look at the other occupant in the garden. When the girl looked over, she would sigh and hum in contentment. She was just happy being able to pick roses with her father again. The circumstances may have been different, but it still made the child smile at the thought.

However, when the man looked at the child a feeling of puzzlement flashed across his face. He kept looking at the girl working, cheerfully humming. He kept pondering and wondering the same thing over. Finally it had to come out.

"Doesn't it hurt?" the adult asked.

"What are you talking about?" the young woman questioned.

"Your hands. You have been handling those roses with bare hands. Doesn't it hurt your hands?" he asked again. He always wore gloves to avoid the rose's sting so he pondered how the child endured the jabs from the spiked stems.

"I'm used to it, see?" the girl offered her small hand to male. He took it his own, and noticed immediately what she was talking about.

There were small nicks and scars on the otherwise smooth palm and fingers.

"You got these, from working with roses?" the Mafia boss pondered.

"I'm always helping my father with his garden," the noirette explained, "It's a special place for my family and me. It holds a special place in our hearts. My father puts all his heart into the garden so that way the beautiful roses that bloom make all of us smile. I want to help my father so that way the roses continue to bloom forever."

She took back her hand and gently laid the recently clipped flowers down. The girl's fingers slipped into her shirt pocket and found the blossom she had come across earlier. She leaned in closer to the man and gently tucked the rose into his jacket pocket. The floret seemed to have just bloomed on the man's coat.

When the child stepped back from him, her cheeks bloomed as red as the bloom around them. "This is Aniue's precious garden, and I like you, Aniue, very much so I want to take care of this garden with you as garden means so much to you, it means a lot to me too. "

The Mafioso had little time to take in her words for he soon found himself in the young girl's embrace and her lips were pressed against her cheek.

For the first time in a long time, and probably the first time ever for him in front of a girl...

He was speechless.

* * *

*Aneki- it means older sister. Apparently the yakuza (japanese mafia) refer to one who is a higher rank as Aniki. Since Blood is mafia he calls his sister aneki. I didn't know it at the time when i created Akahana, i only recently started watching vissysparadise's videos. She's covering the mafia now. She has all of the guys from heart castle.

You can find her on livejournal. I've tried to post the link but it doesn't work! (_)

For our next bishie, the favorite of a friend of mine will be up. School is going to end in two weeks for me so I'll more time for anime and fan fiction! *Does a dance of joy*

Remember to Review!

Daisuki~!


	19. Chapter 19 What Kindness is!

**I've been reading my reviews and a lot people point out that Masa-kun and Hana-chan are cousins. I know that but I didn't think people would make such a big deal about it. Four times as many people in Japan get married to their cousins compared to the U.S. (4/1000 vs. 1/1000 heh heh!)Maybe it's because I'm from the south it doesn't bother me as much… but I'm ain't a hick! **

**No one in my family is married to a cousin so that didn't influence me to make Akahana love Masahiko. I just thought it would be funny if there was still a harem in Wonderland even after Alice got hitched. That's why I made Vivaldi's child a boy so that I could add the little bit of comedy and romance in this story. The fact that he's a prince adds to his cute charm. **

**In another chapter, Hana-chan will explain why it is okay for her and Masa-kun to get married. In later chapters, I'll have the girls explain how each one fell in love with Masahiko, of course by then…**

_***WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP* **_

_***BANG***_

**I'm now rubbing the spot on my head in which one of my characters has hit me to stop me from spoiling the story. **

**Remember the kids are mine, but everyone else is Quinrose's! **

**Please enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 19 Spending Time with Otou-chan! What is Kindness?

Although winter has a habit of driving people inside their doors, some still fun in the chilled air. The crisp breeze seemed to amplify the chimes of children's laughter, as the raced and threw balls of snow at one another. Cheeks were painted rosy by the cold form the wind and exhaustion from the game. Their sandy haired caretaker was watching over from the side, safe from the frost projectiles, smiling at them.

One of her new responsibilities wasn't enjoying the arctic season to the fullest. She sat at a wooden desk, her sapphire eyes following the flow of the words on the page, turning it so that she could progress in the story. She started to continue but she was halted when a foreign unfamiliar word stood in the middle of the sentence. She stared at it for a minute or so, re-reading the line, hoping to grasp the meaning but it was still lost to her.

She looked up at the older man who staring at one of the many golden gadgets on the counter. He stared at them through a pair of spectacles with his own sapphire eyes. He looked as if he was in his own world with that stone determination on his face. His hand delicately yet precisely twisted a bolt into the just the right spot. When his tool stopped twirling and lay on the desktop, he let out a sigh.

It was only then did the child realize that she had stopped breathing. The sight of seeing the Roleholder fulfilling his role seemed to have enchanted her. She had felt similar times back when the man worked, and it baffled her that even before she existed, her father still was so determined to his work.

Aoi decided to ask the man; after all, he was the one that told her "It never hurts to ask."

Of course he was her father them, he was practically a stranger now.

The girl's voice shook as she started, "Um…Onii-chama? What's this word?" She pushed the book towards the man, when it was it the right spot, she pinned it down by a small finger, it pointing to the confusing word.

As the days had gone by, Julius found himself used to the small child's company. There were times when they would converse, mostly about the clocks or what had progressed in the day. It seemed like wherever he went the child wanted to follow, like a duckling following its parent. He wasn't used so much contact from other people and, with the way she acted, so much affection.

The two cobalt eyes stared down at printed script. "The word is effervescent," he answered.

"Efferviscent?" the girl repeated, or at least tried.

"Effer-**veh**-scent," the adult corrected her.

"Oops, sorry," the child's head sunk and her eyes focused away from the man. They started at her light blue dress and she started to play with her dark blue locks.

"No it's alright," the man said.

"So…what does it mean?" Aoi questioned.

Julius sighed. It was obvious since the child couldn't read the word it wouldn't be so hard to believe that she didn't know that meaning.

"It means lively or bubbling," he responded.

***BAM!* *BAM!* **

***SLAM!***

The sudden sonance turned both heads in the office to face a brunette girl with flame red eyes and matching cheeks.

"Hey Aoi-chan! DO you want to go outside with us?" Mamoru cried.

"No thanks, I do want to stay inside today," her friend stated.

"Aww! Come on Aoi! You spend all your time inside! Have some fun!" the brunette girl hollered.

"No thanks," the blue haired girl repeated.

It was then the Roleholder noticed it had been the third time the child had declined to play with her own friends.

"_She sure is weird, always staying close to me,"_ he thought.

The Clockmaster's head shook to get rid of his thoughts and started his business on fulfilling his role. He pulled on a wooden knob and a drawer appeared. As his hand fumbled around, he realized that he had run out of screws.

"Blasted!" he growled, scolding himself for his carelessness. He hadn't been paying to supplies and now he needed delay his work to his supplies. He felt like a novice for making such a foolish mistake.

Aoi's head turned at the sound of the growl. It was a rare time, even for her, to see her father upset. In her small peacock blue eyes, her father was a calm man who often thought before he acted. Whatever caused his rage certainly must have been important.

"What's wrong, Onii-chama?" The girl asked.

He exhaled and grumbled, "I have no screws."

She tilted her head; her fist touched her lips as she spoke. "But…Onii-chama seems sane to me."

Julius's head shifted suddenly as if hit by something, no doubt the young girl's words.

"_A weird girl. Definitely," _his thoughts agreed with his ideas.

The Roleholder got up to his chair, soon enough he was in the hallway, his footsteps echoed in the empty hall, like a paws of a giant black bear pounding down on the ground. It was only when he stopped to go down some stairs did he notice a softer patting sounds. He turned to find Aoi right behind him.

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

"Can I come with you?" She questioned him.

"Why?" He asked again.

"Cause I want to go with you," finally a response came out of the small pair of lips.

"Don't cause me any trouble," he grumbled.

In the blink of an eye, she had dashed to her room, came back, and had returned wearing her black coat.

"Okay, I'm ready. Let's go," the child began to walk cheerfully down the stairs. The man followed, less enthusiastic than his comrade did.

* * *

They continued down the stone path, Aoi continued to find happiness in little adventure. Julius, however, kept on grumbling as they walked. Along the lane, there were little stores and houses that looked like they popped out of a Christmas card. They finally stopped at a building with large gears painted on the windows. The Roleholder opened the door, and walked in while the girl continued to follow him.

The small store was full of practically everything that one could think of when it came to mechanics. Jars full of gears and knobs stood proudly on oak counters. There was a larger counter with a glass case, several clocks displayed on satin pillows. These were not the kind that beat inside a chest, but rather they were type wore by an individual who wanted a distinguished look to them while also wanting to the time of day.

From the doorway behind the counter, an elderly man came out. Despite having no eyes, he had all the other signs associated to his age.

"Hello there, Mr. Monrey. What shall it be today?" the storeowner spoke.

"I need some screws," The Roleholder replied.

The girl had started to wander around, turned her head, "Aoi still thinks that Onii-chama isn't crazy, but he keeps saying that."

"For the fifth time, would you stop staying that? That's not what I mean," The irritated man growled.

"Okay…" the child said slowly. She then turned her away, "It's true though."

As the adults continued their business transaction, the kid continued to walk around. With her age came curiosity, so it was not surprising when something sparkled from crack of a one of the counter's door left slightly open, she stopped.

She kneeled down in order to get a better viewpoint of the shining object. Her hand pulled on the wooden knob, gently pulling it.

_***CREAK!***_

The cabinet opened its mouth, showing its contents. It was dim so she only saw outlines of figurines; most of them could probably fit in her hand. She grabbed one, her whole hand swallowed the object, and it felt smooth and slightly cold in her hand. When her hand returned, it opened slowly like a flower blooming.

Literally sitting in her open fist was a black and white bear with golden disk in each of its paws. There was a small sliver key sticking out of its back.

Aoi turned towards the men and asked "Hey, mister, what's this?"

The chatting adults twisted themselves to see what the child was holding. The old man started to chuckle.

"Well, well, it's been a long time since someone showed interest in those old things. Go ahead and turn the key," the elderly person verbalized.

The child did as she was told, the key twirling around three times. Then it started to slowly spin on its own. The bear's paws came together, causing the metal disks to cling against each other.

The female's azure orbs widened. "Wow! It's so cute! Did you make this yourself?"

"Yes, I made it quite some time ago," the aged man answered.

"It's really nice…" the child sighed. The key stopped turning and the bear arms were wide open once more.

Julius stared at Aoi as she twisted the sliver object in the toy's back again. She beamed brightly as the bear came back to life. It made him remember when he used to admire those kinds of trinkets. Yet those objects were made by…

"Excuse me. How much is that bear?" the Roleholder asked.

The girl's head turned, her face showed surprise and a little hope and happiness.

"_Is…is he going to buy it…for me?"_

The only small beating heart started to race and her small cheeks once red from the cold blushed once more, but this time from her thought.

"It's been a while since someone me asked that. I'll let have you it for free," the senior citizen beamed.

The child's mouth immediately stretched and curved. "Thank you!" she cheered.

"Thank you two for your business," the ancient man thanked.

Soon enough, the door opened and shut, leaving the old male to himself.

* * *

The two blue-haired couple started back to their home. Each holding onto a small brown sack. As they walked, Aoi kept glancing at Julius, trying to get the words out of her mouth. She inhaled for air and hopefully courage and then said, "Thank you."

This caught the man's attention. "What are you thanking me for? I didn't do anything."

"I meant that you were going to buy the bear for me, that was really kind of you to do that," the girl explained. "Onii-chama is really kind."

The Roleholder's face grew carmine at the compliment. He flushed, "What are you talking about? I'm not kind at all."

"Yes you are. Onii-chama is very kind," the kid recoiled.

"DO you even know what you are talking about? You crazy girl" he asked.

"Yeah! I know that I'm surrounded by lots of kind people and I can prove it!" the girl lips pursed into a pout. "Sometimes if one of my friends is still hungry after they ate their lunch, we'll each little bit of our lunches to them. Alice-onee-chama took my friends and me in and always takes care of us. You let us stay in the tower and tried to get the bear for me. All of those are acts kindness."

"Is that so?" Julius asked. He was barely convinced.

Aoi continued, "My Okaa-chan told me that kindness is like a river. Just like rivers need lakes or rain to flow, people need to be treated kindness before they can be kind as well. Some people have not been treated as kindly as others have, so they might not be as kind so their rivers are rather shallow or even dry and others are rather shy or quiet so they might hold back their kindness like a dam holding back their water. I think you have a dam in your river as well, but there are some cracks and holes in yours so you let some of your kindness out. I hope I can see more and more of your kindness."

At this point, the Roleholder was looking away from the child; his face was carmine from his uneasiness with her compliment. "I think that you're the one missing a screw," he scuffed.

"Well, maybe you can lend one of yours, you have plenty to spare," the girl said.

Julius's mouth turned into rare smile and chuckled, "You are one strange girl."

"_**I KNEW IT!"**_

It took all his strength to not fall over from shock. It was the first time the girl say something so loud. Who would have thought that such a quiet girl could yell at all, let alone so intense.

"I knew if I kept that joke up you'd finally smile!" She started to beam and giggle out of joy. Even started to a little jump or two while humming.

"You did that awful joke for that?" the man questioned.

"Well, it worked!" She grinned.

"You are one strange girl," Julius repeated, but this time in a more serious tone.

Suddenly, the warmth of joy seemed to surrender to the bitter cold. The kid looked down then glanced at him, "Is that a bad thing?" she asked.

"Not really," he mumbled.

The little girl cheeks turned red once more as she took a few steps and her small hand found its way into his much larger one.

"Onii-chama, let's go home," she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Okay," he grunted, his face as red as hers.

The two went back to the tower hand-in-hand.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this! I am sorry if there is any OOC on Julius's part. Aoi-chan is shy, but she is cheerful when it come to her "Otou-chan."**

**I have gone back to bolding back my notes because no one is reading them because there are very few people who review my story lately. I want reviews! It makes me feel loved! Unloved stories will be deleted! I'll do it this time! I swear! Review or else! **

**Daisuki~!**


	20. Chapter 20 Otousan's Smile!

I like to thank you all for the support I've had throughout this series. Thanks for all the faves and alerts! Now we are on chapter 20! *CLAP* *CLAP* CLAP*

**And I'm not even at the half way point…I'm going to be doing this series for a while…**

**I hope you continue to support me!**

* * *

Chapter 20 Otou-san's Smile! A Reason for Falling in Love!

It seemed to be your average day in the Amusement Park. The usual blistering heat associated with the season it was experiencing drove the crowds of faceless into the many water slides and pools. Everything seemed to be just a run of a mill day.

Even the arguments were usual thing to be found in the Amusement.

"_**I'M GONNA GET'CHA!" **_the pink feline yelled as he raised his weapon and blasted water at his victim.

"_**STOP IT" **_the mouse boy, whined as he ducked under the water.

As two continued their war within the pool, Gowland continued to crank a lever on its machine, a bunch of ice falling, like snow, into a bowl. Once, it seemed to be full enough, he pulled it out of the hole and held it under a pump. His hand pressed the top and a squirt of some strawberry red liquid on it.

"Here you go, little girl," The Roleholder grinned as his hand went down for a small faceless girl to reach.

"Thank you, sir!" the girl thanked. She grabbed the bowl and ran off to a couple waiting for her.

The sight made him grin. He kneeled under to pull out a bag of frost and dumped it into the back of the contraption, filling it up so he could continue.

Your run of the mill day in the Amusement Park, _well_, maybe not.

Utako started at the scene, glancing from behind a tree. Her focused seemed to be mostly on the man wearing a canary yellow t-shirt, a musical staff on each sleeve, handing another frozen treat.

The child went back to hiding behind the timber. She let out a sigh and squatted on the soft emerald green grass.

"_I came all the way out here, so I can see Otou-san, but I don't know what do. I want to see him but…"_

There was a sudden replay on the "song", and she used that in the loosest terms, in her mind that sent shivers from head to toe.

"_Okaa-san…I still don't get what you were saying…" _the girl thought, as she recalled a memory.

* * *

_It started with a melody. Sweet and cheerful, the sound of finger's pressing against ebony and ivory planks, rang out. Utako sat on a bench, a wide beam on her face and her little feet swinging, as she continue to watch a pair of hands to tap against the board in front of her. Soon the song stopped, leaving the girl next to the player. She was an older woman who she knew very well, and today she wanted to know a __**little**__ more. _

"_Umm…Okaa-san can…can I ask you a question?" the child asked._

"_What's wrong? You seem nervous, Uta-chan, come and tell Okaa-san all about it," her mother said._

"_Well," she started, her finger causing one of her braids dance a duet. "I was sort of wondering if you tell me, what made you fall in love about Otou-san."_

"_What brought this up?" the woman asked. Her voice was coy, as if she knew her child's answer already, "Have you been hanging out with Masahiko-kun again?_

_The girl's cheeks were now as ruby as her hair. "W…What m…makes you think that?" she stuttered. _

"_Whenever you want to talk about romance, that cute prince is on your mind," the older woman teased. A long finger started to poke on of the apple chops._

"_Okaa-san, stop it," the girl yelled out of embarrassment. _

"_Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help myself," the adult apologized. She had a wide beam on her face, her faceless face. _

"_Okaa-san! You haven't answered my question!" Utako pouted._

"_Alright, alright! I'll tell you!" the woman chuckled. The lass's face brightened and she crossed her arms laying them on her hoping to get an answer. _

"_Tell me, Uta-chan. Why do you think that I fell in love with Otou-san?" Her mother asked._

"_Umm…you heard Otou-san playing and you really liked it? He is the best violin player Utako knows," the child answered._

_The older female immediately burst into a fit of laughter. The room seemed to echo with it._

"_What? Was I wrong?" the girl asked._

_The woman stopped her chuckling and wiped her eye do to a tear sticking out at the edge. "Well, let's just say that your Otou-san wasn't exactly the best musician when I met him."_

"_Well, I give up. Why did you fall in love with him?" the girl sighed. _

"_You see, Utako, there is something special about him that always made feel better whenever I got upset. I can always find it, and it rarely ever goes away," the adult female explained._

"_What is it? What is it?" Utako asked. Her arms straighten as her aquamarine eyes brightened with curiosity. _

"_Well, it's an easy thing to realize. But you have to find out that out all on your own," the woman finished. _

* * *

"_Well, Okaa-san, I've been watching Otou-san. I even somehow got into the past before you even met him. And…I still don't understand." _

The girl's head as she let out a sigh. She sat down on the summertime green grass. The child used her arms as a cushion when she leaned against the tree.

After a few seconds of letting the water drops fall from her scalp down to her neck, the red-headed lass decided that the hot summer sun was unbearable unless she some flavored ice in her mouth and some brain freeze to counteract the swelter of the season. She stood up and started to stroll, hoping to get some relief.

It seemed like a simple walk from her resting point to the counter, but that thought was dashed when a massive tidal wave sprung up from the pool and washed over her. After the liquid continued to spread out, it left a soaked girl, from head to toe, standing there, spitting out some of aqua out of her mouth.

"_**THAT'S ENOUGH YOU TWO! YOU'RE DISTURBING THE CUSTOMERS!" **_ The Amusement Park owner yelled at the two animal boys in the pool.

"Calm down old man, we were just having some fun! You wanted us to get along, right?" Boris slyly stated. He turned to the green-eyed boy for a reply, but the mouse was too scared and too tired to talk.

"Don't worry about me, I've been splashed like this many times before. Besides, I was feeling kinda hot anyway," the girl sighed as she rung out one of her braids.

"Utako! What brings you to our neck of the woods?" Gowland asked.

"I was coming over for something to cool me down, but I didn't want it to be from head to toe," Utako explained, as she squeezed her other carmine queue.

"Well, how about a free snow cone as an apology. It's on his tab," the ginger haired grinned, his thumb pointing at the pink feline.

"Hey, what do you mean my tab?" Boris growled, his hand squashing Pierce's head against the tile ground.

"You did just splash the poor girl. Are you okay, kid?" the man asked, bending down to check on the girl.

"I'm okay," the child assured. She let out a small sneeze with a traditional sniff to follow.

"Come on over here," the owner commanded, as he guided her over to a bench. Utako took a seat while Gowland left and came back with fluffy white towel and started to rub her crimson locks and the rest of her small body as well.

"There, that should it," the man finished. After finishing his accomplishment, the two sat sown on one of the benches.

"So do you want your snow cone now?" he asked the girl wrapped in the cloth.

"No, I'm still a little cold from the sudden down poor," she giggled. The girl rubbed her noggin a few times with the fabric.

"Then how about a song?"Gowland's trusty instrument appeared out of thin air, making the girl shiver and not from the cold water on her skin.

"I uh have to go to the restroom! **SEE YA!" **the panic-stricken girl came up with the dialogue, and dashed away, hoping to get away to save her ears.

"What's with her?" the man asked himself. He shrugged his shoulders and started to go back to the counter when he noticed something glitter in the bright sunlight. He slowly knelt down and picked up something round and circular, it seemed to be made of gold. The top had a blue diamond on it and the surface of the round part had a piece of music printed on it

"Looks like she dropped this," he mumbled. He started off, hoping to return the object to its owner.

* * *

Utako's relief came out in a sigh. She had escaped the man's malicious melody and for that, she was grateful. Yet, the girl felt a strange pang in her chest. She never thought the day would come when she would run away from her Otou-san.

The child exhaled, hoping to release her confusion. She sat down on a bench, resting there for a moment. Her hand started to slide into a small pocket in her skirt, when she noticed it was empty.

"_WHAT? IT'S NOT HERE?" _her mind screamed. All of her senses seem to heightened as she began to looked about. _"WHERE IS IT? WHERE IS IT?"_

"_**HEY UTAKO!" **_

The familiar male voice sent unfamiliar chills up her spine, despite its warm tone.

"_I've got the worst luck…ever…" _the girl thought, _"I'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE!"_

In the blink of an eye, she jumped into the nearby bushes. She held her breath and prayed that Gowland would not look over her way.

"I could have sworn that I saw her over here," the man grumbled, twisting his head around in hopes to find out where the girl was. He called her name once more, and started to wander, trying to find the child.

Once he was out of sight, Utako rose up from the foliage pool, her head bobbing on the surface. She let out the breath she was holding.

"That was close," the girl mumbled. "Now, let me see. Maybe if I go back then I'll be able find it."

* * *

That was easier said than done, because every so often when the child was searching for her precious object, which was when the owner would make his appearance. In fear of her ears bleeding, she found herself hiding, begging in her mind, that he would pass without finding her. When the man had left, the kid with braids continued to look. Yet, when the sun was sitting on the treetops, it seemed to be a hopeless quest.

"_I can't find it…" _the words weighed so heavy in the girl's mind she had to sit down. _"That was the only thing I had to tie me to Okaa-san in this time…" _

Her head, with thoughts too hefty to carry anymore let them out, with small drops spilling from her marine eyes.

Gowland planted himself down on the bench. He had spent the whole day looking for the girl but for some reason she remained elusive. His hand mined his pocket, digging into its depths and pulled out the golden object that he had found.

"_Maybe she went home, guess I can go to the Tower to drop this off," _he contemplated.

The man started to get up and took a few steps before noticing a sniffling sound. He glanced around, when nothing seem different, he continued to stroll on when the noise started again, only louder.

He thought, _"That sounds like…" _

The owner noticed the small movement of foliage a few feet from his spot. He walked over to the tree and noticed a very familiar carmine mop of hair.

"Utako?" the word came out as a question.

The girl in braids looked up from her fists and saw the man with the braid squatting down, right next to her. He noticed the tears trails on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, even though the man had a clear idea what was the matter.

She went back to setting her head on her knees, "I…I lost…something…I've looked everywhere for it…but I can't find it…" the lass said between her sniffing and sobbing.

After rummaging through his pocket, the man found the small box. He held it out in about eye level to the child.

"Is this what you were looking for?" Gowland questioned.

Utako peeked at the object, her aquamarine eyes widen and clumped on his neck.

She started to sob again, "Thank you…Onii-san."

"My pleasure," he replied, "So what is this thing?" The Roleholder lifted it up in the light, twisting his wrist trying to get a better look at the object.

"Let me see it," the child commanded. The adult let her have the item, slipping it into her hands. The girl turned it over, to show the small thing that stuck out. She twisted it a few times. The air suddenly filled with a light mechanic tinkling, a simple yet calm and warm tune.

"This is my music box," the girl explained, "My Otou-san gave me this a long time ago when I was really little. Whenever I get upset, or lonely, I listen to it. Since I haven't seen my family in a while, I'll listen to it before I go to bed and I pretend it's my Okaa-san singing and my Otou-san playing his violin. They always used to that for me and my siblings when we go to sleep." Her voice started to fall, and the words got farther apart, like as if her words were the lyrics to a sad song.

Something warm and large set down and Utako's evening red hair its waltzing motions messing up the hair that wasn't tied up, her light blue eyes spotted Gowland smiling right at her.

"Cheer up, Utako. You will get back to your folks. Until then Alice will take care of you. And if you need anything else, I'll help you out, okay?" the man beamed.

While taking in his words, the girl noticed something about the Roleholder. It always seemed that, excluding typical flares of temper always had a smile on his face. A smile, so warm and inviting, it made her feel like as if she never let her time.

"Oh here," he commented, as he pulled something out his other pocket. Two cards, one gold and one silver, shining in his hand. "These cards will allow you to get in free and when you get on a ride, you don't have to get in line."

A bright smile spread across the child's face. "Really? Can I have them?" she asked.

"Of course," he said, rubbing her locks once more, "Come back anytime."

"_**UTAKO!" **_a familiar female voice called out.

"That must be Onee-san, she said she would come to get me," the girl said. "I'll see you later."

"Come by anytime!" the man called as the child dashed off to the maiden waiting for her.

"_Okaa-san," _the girl thought, _"I think I know why you started to love Otou-san. He wears a smile that cheers people up. I know this is well, because…" _her small cheeks loomed red, _"It's the same reason that I love Masahiko…"_

* * *

There we are! A Gowland chapter! It is sort of hard to write a chapter about him since he isn't popular and there isn't much out there about unlike rest of the guys… The chapter will star an easier one to write since there two route summaries about him.

Read and Review!

Daisuki~!


	21. Chapter 21 The New Guest!

**I just watched the HnKnA movie trailer and I'm so psyched! I cant wait to see it! Although some of my favorite guys had very little time … I hope they get more screen time in the movie…**

**I regrettably don't own The Roleholders nor Alice, just the kids and the idea.**

* * *

Chapter 21 The New Guest! Daddy's Promise!

A pair of amber eyes shifted, checking to make sure the hallway was safe and most importantly clear. When it seemed as if she was the only person around, the little raven haired girl with two alabaster white ribbons in her hair started to tip toe across the maroon rug beneath her. From the side you could see, there was a rather large bump that sprung on her back, as if there was something hiding underneath her coal coat. Her hands were holding each other, near the end of her new hump.

"_I'm almost there…" _she thought as she spotted a brown door. The girl started to reach for the knob when it jiggled by itself. Before the pigtailed girl could even sweat out of fear, the light blonde foreigner and the ebony haired Roleholder with lizard mark on his neck, had appeared when the door opened.

"Hello there, Tama how are you doing?" the man politely questioned.

"Um…just fine," the child stuttered in a nervous tone. The Niagara Falls seemed to flowing down from her bangs. "I'm going to…um…wash my hands. See you in a little while." She dashed away for a few steps, in hopes of being to sneak away undetected.

The two noticed the change with the usual happy child, as if she was hiding something. A wave of concern had draped over the two so they continue to watch the girl. It seemed that her new found timidness was unfounded when they had to blink to make sure what they were seeing was real.

There something fire orange-red with a little snow white tip, in the shape of a flame and looking rather fluffy sticking out of the back of her ash colored jacket.

"Gray? Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Alice asked the man on her left.

"I believe so," Gray answered.

They started to follow the small girl. The maiden called out to her, "Tama?"

The kid froze in place, with one leg still up in the air. She remained a statue even when the dark haired male lifted up her jacket. All of a sudden, a flash of something persimmon dashing form beneath the cloak and down the hallway.

"**SOCKY! WAIT!" **Tama hollered. She struggled for a second and soon slid out her coat, revealing an ebony dress with a white frilly blouse underneath. The noirette sped after the flame, the couple followed.

Alice and Gray halted, trying to capture air into their lungs. Five minutes of tracking down the girl seemed to give them quite a work out.

The lizard man commented, "I feel like I was just chasing Nightmare. I feel just as tired." His hand pushed against the wall, supporting him as he sighed.

"I feel the same way," the foreigner agreed, her hands on her knees. She scanned the hallways, looking gor the missing pig-tailed girl. She noticed her target crouching down, in front of a violet silk curtain. "There she is! Tama!"

The girl turn towards the teenager, pressing a finger to her lips, then it pointed at the drapery. The two strolled over.

"What are you doing?" the Roleholder asked.

"I'm trying to get Socky out from hiding," the child reolied.

"_Who or what is Socky?" _the maiden thought, staring at lilac fabric. She could see the outline of something pointy. When her aquamarine eyes trailed away she noticed something that made her eyes widen in horror.

Even though the ivory sleeve covered a good portion of Tama's arm, it still exposed her wrist. A large bruise seemed to wrap her wrist, like a braclet. There was even some dried blood still left on the wound.

"**TAMA! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR WRIST?" **Alice hollered, her voice filled with woe.

"Well, I..you see…I was trying to help…" the girl started, when a soft whining sound stopped her. The plum shroud shifted and lifted itself. It draped over furry face with a pointed white muzzl ending with a coal black nose. The rest of the face wore apricot orange fur. Two pointed ears with ebony tips stood on its head.

Tama stopped her sentence and turned to the animal. "It's okay, don't worry. We won't hurt you, come on out," she coaxed. The hand with the injured wrist, curled its finger for more effect.

Soon the critter step out of the curtain and into full view. The rest of its body was the same flame orange-red as its face, except for the small blanched patch of fuzz on its chest and four socks of the same color on its paws, and the tip of the fluffy tail.

"_C..Cute…" _ was the first thought that hit the foreigner and the Roleholder. Identical shades of carmine splashed on their faces, when Alice peered down and noticed a common trait between the girl and the fox.

Like the child, the kit had an identical bruise, only looking more serious on the front paw on the right side, closest to her. The animal held this one of the ground, tyring not to stand on it.

"Just exactly what happened to you two?" the foreigner repeated.

"Well you see," the girl began, "I was playing outside with everyone. we were all going inside, when I heard a whining sound. I looked around and found him, all tangled up in a bush with lots of thorns. I tried to get him out, but I got stuck too, just for a little while. I was to wriggle out and save Socky-chan too."

"Let's take care of your wounds now, okay?" Alice offered. She held out her hand for the child to take. The girl placed her fist with the injured wrist inside the foriegner's hands. While the two females started off, Gray was left with getting the fox.

"Come on," he said, his hands mimcing the motion Tama had used. The charcoal nose was a spec apart from his hand. It made some sniffing sounds, trying to decide if this person was friend or foe. The animal's decision was clear when he rubbed his furry head against the caloused extremity. Gently, the Roleholder picked up the kit, carrying it in one arm.

Alice was wrapping the girl's wound in bandage when Gray came in through the door.

"Hey Alice, where is the medicine I keep?" the adult male asked.

"It should be in the cabinet, third shelf," the maiden replied.

He walked over to the ebony cabinet, pulling on a golden knob. The door opened and his eyes immediately to the shelf close to his eye level. The man reached and grabbed a small white box with the hand that was free. He set the fox kit and first aid kit down. He opened the chest and pulled out a spray bottle and some tape.

"Hold still, okay?" the adult asked the animal. He lifted its leg and started to spray the liquid on it. The fox whined at the contact of the medicine, but didn't move. The man stretched out the tape and wrapped it around the bruise.

"Onii-chama is really good with animals, isn't he?" Tama commented, as she watched him.

"When he picks up strays, sometimes they're injured so he takes care them," Alice responded.

"Onii-chama, can I help you take care of Socky?" the noirette girl asked.

"Why of course. Just one question," the Roleholder said.

"Sure," the child responded.

"Why do you call him Socky?" he asked.

"Can't you tell? Look," she said as her finger pointed to the animal. "He's got four socks on his paws, see?"

He glanced at the animal noting the color of his feet. "I think it suits him," he commented.

* * *

For the next few days, the two Ringmarcs treated the newest member of the tower. Socky seemed to be making progress, standing on his injured foot from time to time.

"All right everyone, come and get it!" the small girl called out. Several cats strolled towards her, all different shades and features and sizes. From large gray cats with rather fluffy tails to calicos with stick skinny tails, all of them walked to the girl. She set down two bowls, full of brown flakes that the felines happily started to chow down on.

"Socky! Lunchtime!" the child hollered. The creature in question, started to scurry to her. She set down another dish, this one filled with red scraps. They had tried to feed him food that would suit canine taste, but he would often just nibble or ignore the plate. The worse had happened when he caught sent of her two friends with long ears and decided to make them a snack. After three hours of chasing after the predator after its prey, they found kitchen scraps of meat distrcted him from the girls and filled up the fox just fine.

"That was the only time you gave us any trouble," Tama chuckled. She crouched down and her fingers felt the soft fur on his head as she scratched his ear. He continued to chew on his meal.

"It seems that he's fine," a tenor toned voice sommented.

The girl turned atound to find the lizard staring at her.

"Hello there, Onii-sama. How are you?" she greeted.

"Fine thank you," he responded, "Now let me see if Socky is alright."

He knelt down and picked up the bandaged paw and unwrapped it. The bruse had swelled down to a rather small scratch.

"He seems to be okay, we should be able to let him go now," Gray said.

"_Let Socky…go…now?" _the thought made the girl's heart squeeze a little in sadness of leaving her friend.

"Hey, Onii-sama? Can we keep Socky just a little while longer?" Tama asked, her fist close to her mouth. "He might get sick or something if we don't take care of him for a little while longer. Please let him stay for a little while longer."

He sighed, "I think that its best, if we let him go soon."

"Come on, Onii-sama can't we keep for a few more days," she questioned. The child clasped her hands together and bent her head slightly. "Please," she begged once more.

The lizard sighed. This girl was so cute, especially looking at him like that. How could he resist her?

He sighed once more , "You really want to keep him, don't you?"

The pig-tailed child lower her head a little, her amber eyes glanced away from him. "Just for a little while longer…" she mumbled.

"Well, I don't see the harm in keeping for a few more days," The Roleholder said.

The noirette girl golden eyes widened, "Really?" Suddenly, her arms wrapped themselves around his neck. "Thank you Onii-sama!"

* * *

A week later, the two stood in an open field, draped in winter's blanket. The little kit was snuggling close to the kid.

"Okay Socky. You have to go home now," the girl said.

The fox yipped in response, as if he was trying to say goodbye. It was followed a deeper sounding bark that made all three heads turn. After watching a few bushes shivered, another fox emerged. This one was larger, going up to Tama's hip. Socky immediately jumped out of the girl's arms and dashed over to the other animal. The larger one stretched its neck so it could nuzzle the smaller one's head. The kit returned the cuddle. The two foxes looked over at the two humans and they started to stroll into the shrubs.

"Looks like Socky found his family," the pig-tailed child sighed.

"Yes, it seems he has," the Roleholder agreed.

For a few moments , they just stood there, looking at the place that the two creatures left.

"You know…I hope I get to be like Socky," Tama wondered.

"What?" the man asked.

"Well, when you think about it. Socky and Tama-chan are very similar. We both got separated from our families, then someone found us and took us in and they took really good care of us. Socky was able to get back home and someday I hope I can get back home too," The girl explained.

"I'm sure you'll be able to get back to your parents soon," Gray comforted, he reached out to rub Tama's head.

"Onii-sama,do you think that Socky will forget us?" Tama wondered, she looked up at him, hopeful look in her honey eyes.

"No, I don't think so," he answered. "You don't usally forget someone who was kind to you, right?"

"I know I won't forget Alice-onee-sama or you when I go home. Will you forget Tama-chan?" she asked.

"Don't worry, I won't forget you," The Roleholder assured.

"Promise?" the word came out of the girl's mouth as more like a question.

"I promise," he responded.

The two started back home, Tama's heart kept her warm from the winter wind.

* * *

**This scene was inspried by a part in Gray's route where Alice and Gray take care of an injured swan.**

**Please Review!**

**Daisuki~!**


	22. Chapter 22 Tousan is Sweet!

**Hello! See I'm not dead! **

**I don't anybody but my girls and Masa-kun. **

* * *

Daisuki Papa Chapter 22 Tou-san is Sweet! And so are Cakes!

Amai continued to concentrate, as once again she lowered the bag. Her little fist gently squeezed the bag, as a glop of icing oozed out of the metal tip. It swirled a little, just as she wanted it. She exhaled out of relief.

"_Now just a little bit more, and it will be perfect," _she thought.

She rose, as her toes soon became her support, while the sole of her boots hung in the air. The girl straightened the bag, hovering it over the center. Once more pressure was applied so that a bit more of the white topping came out.

"_Almost got it…" _

_***BAM!***_

"_**HEY, WHAT'S COOKING?"**_

The sudden disruption cause the hare girl to shake, the chair now swayed and tumbled, threatening to take the tangerine haired child down with it, the white sack jetted it contents everywhere like a hose without someone to hold it. Amai found herself in the air, expecting to hit the hard ground found her in a warm, soft embrace.

"Phew! That was close," the number two in the mafia, sighed as he glanced down at the girl in his arms. "Hey are you okay kid?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," she assured. Elliot set the girl down on the ground. "Thanks!" She happily beamed at him but when she glanced at the cake, her mouth dropped.

The bag had crashed into the confection, revealing the sunset orange insides, the white glaze covering them, making look like to two tangerine mountains covered in snow, with a large bag settled in the valley.

"_My cake…"_

She couldn't believe it, a good hour of work, wasted in a few seconds…

Suddenly her violet eyes felt achy and she could feel something wet hit her boots. On instinct, she rubbed her amethyst sleeve rubbed against her lilac orbs.

"_I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry…" _she chanted in her mind, but her tears kept on falling.

"Hey, what's wrong?" the March Hare asked, reaching out his hand out to touch her shoulder, but her hand came in contact first.

"**I'M FINE!" **she hollered, and then she dashed off.

"What's with her?" Elliot asked, his face squished up in confusion, a bent ear conveying puzzlement also.

One of the Mafia's servants had just entered through the door, and twisted her head.

"Excuse me, Mr. March, but where the child is?" the maid asked.

"I don't know, she got upset and ran off," the man told her as he rubbed his head.

The blonde looked over at the cake, and her mouth lowered, "Well, that's a shame."

"What is?"He asked.

"That girl spent a lot of time making that cake…" she started.

"What? She made it herself?" the carrot topped hare questioned, staring at crumbled cake.

With that fact in mind, curiosity came over Elliot. He walked over to the tea brown cabinets and found one with a drawer underneath the smooth marble tops. Pulling on the amber handle, three lines of silver soldiers appeared. Some had spikes that would stab and pickup their enemies in chunks, another group would carve and slice their foes, the last members of the company were round digging into their targets with ease.

Elliot picked up one of the spikes and speared a side of one in carrot crags, taking a boulder, with some frosting like snow still on it, and stuck it into his mouth, sucking the clump of cake. It had the familiar taste of the usual confections he ate, but it had sweeter, more moist flavor. The frosting itself had a milky sweetness of its own.

"**WOW!" **the words flew out his mouth,** "SHE MADE THIS?"**

"Yes sir, I just helped her put it in and take it out, everything else she did herself. It's a shame it was ruined," the maid shook her head strolled over to the stove, picking up the plate. Her hand found one of the blades. The maid took a few more steps, and with one scrape of the knife, the cake fell into the waste bin. She bowed to the Roleholder and walked right out of the kitchen, leaving the hare to himself.

* * *

"_I'm not going to cry…I won't…I won't…" _the girl's mind chanted, but the persistent tears continued to fall from her violet orbs.

After the disaster, the little hare found shelter in the tall grass that call themselves home a good dash away from the Hatter Mansion. She knew the way for she had traveled there many times before, whenever she wanted a break from noise of her extended family or just wanted to be by herself for a while you would find her staring up the clouds, all of her tensions and worries blowing away in the breeze making the amber plants sway.

"_I wish Kaa-san was here, she would always make me feel better. Although…if she was here, I wouldn't probably feel so sad…"_

* * *

_She could remember sniffling just like this not too long ago, in the same place as well. She didn't want anyone to see her so there she was, all alone, letting her tears rain down._

_Thanks to the ears that her father gave her, the girl heard something approach, yet she ignored it. Her mind was too absorbed with her heart's problems to notice._

"_Amai-chan?"_

_The sound of her name ceased the sniffling. The child looked up and saw a person with her hands with on her knees, no ears on top of her head sitting down next to her._

"_I thought I'd find you here," the female giggled. The girl just looked away._

_The adult's hand cupped, taking the child's chin inside, forcing the girl to the look up in the female._

"_Sweetie, what's wrong? You've been crying," the woman stated, noting the red rings around the violet irises. _

"_No I haven't…" Amai mumbled, turning her face away. _

"_Hmm…" the female mused. She saw her target and immediately tugged at one of the chestnut ears with her fingers._

"_**OWWIE!" **__the hare child hollered. She twisted her face towards the woman. __**"DON'T DO THAT!"**_

"_Sorry Amai-chan, but you paid attention to me then I won't do that," the woman answered._

"_Kaa-san is just like everyone else," Amai groaned then hid her face by laying it on her knees again. _

"_What?" her mother asked._

"_Some of the kids make fun of my ears and pull them. They tease them and make fun of me," the girl confessed, looking up at her parent._

_The shadow let out a little gasp. For a while, there was uncomfortable silence between two._

_Suddenly, two warm arms wrapped around the hare. She found something soft rubbing against her cheek and then something dragging itself across her head._

"_It's okay Amai-chan, everybody gets picked one sometimes. Even your Tou-san and Kaa-san."_

"_But Tou-san is really big and strong, and you're really pretty, why would anyone pick you two?"_

_The adult giggled, "You know, sweetie, I used to be really shy when I was your age, so I got picked on too."_

_The child's eyes grew, "Really?" she asked._

"_Yes", the woman continued, "but I had friends and family back then, that would comfort me and cheer me up. You have that too so there is no need to feel alone when you feel sad. You have that too, and we worry about you, so if anything bothers you, tell us about it okay?" _

"_Amai promises, I'll tell you, but Amai is still scared of telling of telling Tou-san," Amai agreed._

"_Why not tell Tou-san?" her mother asked._

"_Because, if I tell him, he'll wait eight seconds then kill them," The hare hollered. _

_The shadow burst into a fit of chuckles, "That's true, but sweetie, trust me. Your Tou-san has he used to be a lot worse."_

"_Really?" the girl asked._

"_Yes," the woman explained, "He used to wait just one."_

_The sudden burst of laughter caused tears to flow from the violet eyes, hands swaddled over her stomach._

"_That…sounds…just …like….him," each word came after a squawk of crowing from the little hare's mouth._

_The adult beamed, "now that's better. I'd rather have tears caused by laughter than grief from my little girl's eyes." One long black finger gently touched the girl's cheek, wiping away some tears from her lilac eyes. _

"_Now, how about I make you something delicious?" she questioned her child._

"_With you cooking, Kaa-san, that could be anything!" the girl giggled. _

"_You sound just like your Tou-san," the woman chuckled, she then quickly clutched the girl so that she was close to her face, so close that their noses were touching, "And if you're anything like your Kaa-san, you'll help me out with making it."_

"_Really?" Amai beamed, her eyes sparkling with excitement._

"_Now let's go home," the female, giggled, the girl's cheek pressed against her face._

* * *

"_Kaa-san, I really miss you. You always know how to make me smile…"_

"_**AMAI!"**_

The girl recognized the male voice, but just squished herself in tighter.

"Ane-chan is probably here to pick me up or he's here to scold me for leaving all those dirty dishes all over the place…," she mumbled.

Elliot continued to twist his head. "I thought I saw her run out here," he grumbled. His head messed up the back of his curly carrot top. He suddenly noticed that among the golden grain, there was something light cocoa colored. Taking a few steps, he found what he was looking for.

"There you are, so this is where you've been hiding," the Roleholder stated. The smaller hare made no response.

A nervous chuckled slipped out his mouth, "You know I'm really sorry about the cake…"

The girl just turned her head away from him and grunted.

"You know, the cake was really delicious," he continued.

With this new information, the girl turned to look at the man.

"You really mean it?" Amai asked her voice full of embarrassment and awe.

"Yeah, it was really delicious," he confirmed.

"I hope it was, since I'll never get to taste it," she mumbled.

"Hey come on, I already apologized," Elliot growled.

The little hare humped and turned her head again.

"Come on, let's just go back home and eat some cake, I'll be sure to have them make just like you like it," the Roleholder offered.

The child pondered for a moment. Then her face beamed, "I'll go back, but…if you can help me make a new one."

"_**WHAT? **_

"Don't worry, I'll be with you all the way," she grinned, and started to dash off, "Last one there is a rotten egg!"

**_"HEY COME BACK HERE!"_** he hollered.

* * *

They finally were finally able to eat the dessert after two hours of work. It didn't really take that long to make that cake. They just had some… mishaps…

"_**WHAT DO YOU MEAN ITS MY FAULT IT TOOK SO LONG?" **_Elliot bellowed.

"Inside voice, Ani-chan, inside voice," Amai uttered and took another piece of her cake and plucked into her mouth.

The male hare's already flushed face grew into deeper crimson. He then took another gulp of the cake.

"You were the one who put baking soda instead of baking powder in the cake," she accused.

"I thought it was choking powder…." He mumbled his ears flopped down.

"I know this the Mafia's mansion, but don't think you guys keep that stuff in the kitchen…" the girl stated as she chopped down again.

The second in command made a grunt, and continued to chew on his slice.

"Although…I kind of had fun with you," the child admitted with a small pink blush on her face.

"Huh?" he asked.

"I usually make things with my Kaa-san and its really fun but when I bake with you I have a lot of fun too," Amai explained.

The girl looked up at the Roleholder and notice a bit of white frosting on his cheek. She suddenly beamed and then gently kissed his face where the frosting.

"Ani-chan…you are a really sweet guy, you know that?"

* * *

**I know that Elliot is probably OC in this chapter i promise that in my next story that he'll be more hot tempered.**

**Sorry to write(type?) and run but I'm going to Connecticut tomorrow, and wanted to have something for you guys to read. Please forgive me for lateness and I promise I'll continue to write while in CN. (But you'll have to wait till I get back in a week and finish typing the chapters.)**

**Daisuki~**


	23. Chapter 23 Pouncing with Pop!

**I just got back from vacation and now I say…I HATE HUMIDITY!**

* * *

Chapter 23 Pouncing with Pop! Wounds are Healed with Licks!

The Cheshire cat yawned stretching his arms out, like a cat stretching after taking a nap. His smacked lips and scratched his sides. He slowly rose up but bent down again in order to pick up his fur.

"Man, this heat sure does make you sleepy. Now where did that mouse go?" he mumbled. As his amber eyes scanned the emerald forest for the Dormouse, he chased earlier, but shrugged his shoulders when he decided that his prey slipped away from again.

"Aw well, I guess I can always grab something at the park," he muttered.

_***SNAP!***_

Feline ears twitched at the sound. Boris looked over his shoulder noticing a few blades of grass moving, but there was not a breeze blowing that day. He took a quick a sniff of the warm air and noticed a familiar scent.

He smirked, _"So that's what she's planning…"_

* * *

The young cub laid low in the grass. Her pink ears kept twitching checking her surroundings.

"_Shoot! I bet he heard that!" _She mentally cursed herself for her carelessness. She then started on her crawling, her hands curled up like paws. Between the blades of grass, she could see her target, the tomcat that seemed to be just happily strolling along.

"_I guess he didn't notice," _The girl noted, _"Now's my chance!" _

Her hind raised itself, a long tail swaying like a flagpole adjusting itself. For a few moments, all of her senses focused on the teen. Her eyes did not blink when a dragonfly flew past them, for she only saw the tomcat. Her ears could catch the sound of his steps of the lush grass. The smell of him and gunpowder engulfed her nostrils.

"_Here I go..."_

"_NOW!__**"**_

With that final thought, she sprung from her crouching position into the air. Boris still had her back to her, oblivious to her attack…until he suddenly ducked.

"_**WHAT?" **_the girl hollered. She missed her expected target and now was on a direct course for a tree…which she hit face first and slowly slid down until she hit the ground.

"_**HAHAHA!" **_ The Roleholder cackled. He slowly rose and immediately wrapped his arms around his bare stomach. "You thought you had me there, Tora! Boy, did I get you!" He continued to laugh as the child continued to stare at the tree, her face slowly becoming a growl.

Tora twisted her noggin to face the tomcat, _**"YOU KNEW IT WAS ME?" **_she roared.

"When I heard the twig snap, I noticed your smell," Boris explained.

The cub's pink ears drooped down and exhaled, "Man, I thought had you there. Now my head hurts."

He continued to snicker, "You were close kid, but not close enough!" The laughter continued until he noticed something. On the side of the child's head, there was a nasty bruise with some blood leaking out of it.

He turned his head away; his yellow eyes stared at the ground. _"Oh boy, Alice is gonna have my tail for this…" _

The cub curled up in a ball, trying to settle the throbbing in her head and to wallow in her failure when the tomcat crouched down next to her.

"Looks like you got hurt, let me help you with that," he whispered.

Slowly his tongue moved toward the injury, and it slowly rubbed it with the muscle. Tora looked up at the teen. He was preoccupied in his activity.

_"Pop sure is different now a days. He's little bit meaner and he teases me more but..."_

* * *

_She could recall one time, when her family went on a picnic. She had been looking for some berries but some squirrels scurrying around the forest floors made her forget her mission._

_When they decided to stop long enough to look for buried nuts that is when she decided to strike. _

"_Now let me see, first you have to get low," she recalled, getting down on her hands and knees. "Then you get a good view of your target, next get into position."_

_Her hind rose in the air, she continued to watch the rodents. Her sun colored eyes stared especially at the smallest one, a light tan one that just happened to scurry away from the rest._

"_Finally…you pounce!"_

_With that last thought, she followed it through, leaping at the vermin._

_Unfortunately, she did not look before she leapt, and so, when the squirrel ran out of the way and girl started to tumble, Tora found herself at the bottom of a hill covered in scratches._

_"Pop? Ma?" she called out but the only response she got was her own voice repeated in the empty air._

"_**SHOOT!"**__ Tora shouted. _

"_**SHOOT! SHOOT! SHOOT!" **__her echo repeated._

_The small pink struggled to move, pain shooting through her body. When the cub got on her feet, the pain caused her to collapse. It was then Tora noticed the intruders of her skin, causing drops _

"_Pop…Ma…" she whispered, small drops sliding from her eyes, down to her cheeks._

"_**TORA!"**__ a scream cried out from somewhere over the hill._

"_I'm down here!" The cub hollered, trying to stand up again but her legs still stung when being used foe she just collapsed on the ground again._

"_There you are!" the same voice cried out and she looked up to see her father._

"_Haven't I told you before not to wander off?" the male cat asked in a teasing tone. _

"_Yeah," the cub sighed. Her ears fell and her matching pink tail followed._

"_So next time listen, okay?" he chuckled and rubbed her head. He then noticed her injuries. _

"_And let these be a lesson for you," Boris motioned to the injuries. His hand gently rubbed her legs, removing the thorns from her body. Once they were all gone, his tongue started to caress the wounds. _

"_Pa! HA! HA! Stop it! HA! That tickles!" Tora giggled in between her words._

"_Well that's better than it hurting," her father chuckled. He gently scooped her up in her arms. _

"_**TORA! TORA!"**__ a female voice called out. _

"_Oh! Over here, Ma!" the cub called over._

_The woman rushed over and immediately scooped the girl out of her father's arms._

"_Tora! Thank goodness!" the female quickly cuddled her daughter's cheek and then turned towards Boris._

"_**BORIS! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING HER!"**__ she hollered. _

"_Sorry, but she's a kid. She should be able to explore the world around her. Wouldn't you agree?" he replied._

_The woman looked at her husband and sighed, "You know, you're right."_

_Boris beamed, "Besides she kinda reminds me of you, being curious like this."_

"_I'm like Ma?" the girl asked, looking at her pop then her ma. Tora then quickly wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. "Then I wanna grow up so that way I can be more like Ma!"_

_The older female blushed then grinned, "That make Ma really happy, but I'd rather you stay my little girl forever."_

"_But when I'm all grown up, I can marry Masahiko!" the cub retorted. _

"_Masahiko? The queen's brat? __**NO WAY!**__" her father hollered._

"_Well, Pop, it could be worse," his wife injected, "She could have a crush on __**Wyatt**__!"_

"_That rat's brat?" Boris bellowed, __**"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"**_

"_Don't worry, Pop," his cub assured, "I'm completely loyal to Masahiko, just like Pop is loyal to Ma."_

_That made both of the adults blush at the compliment. The child was completely ignorant of her parents' faces; she was too busy, cuddling close to her Ma's chest. _

"_Well, you are definitely your father's daughter," the woman said. She scooted over to get a little closer to her husband._

_The couple started to walk back home, a happy kitten purring in the woman's arms._

* * *

"There you go! That should take care of it!" Boris stated.

The girl looked up at the teen; she had completely forgotten that he was there. The feel of his tongue on her injuries was just so natural, she now felt comfortable and a little sleepy.

"Tora! Where are you?" the voice belonging to the foreigner cried out.

"Hey Alice!"The tomcat called out, "We are over here!"

Alice emerged from the bushes, panting and sweating. Her aquamarine eyes automatically found the feline female curled up, her irises were mostly on the bruise on her head.

"**BORIS! WHAT HAPPENED?" **

"Well, she was just playing around and she bumped her head. It was just an accident," he stuttered.

The maiden scooped the girl up in her arms; one of her hands shifted the pink locks to get a better look at the bruise.

"Well, she seems to be alright. It doesn't seem to serious injury…," she stated. Then she noticed there was a soft rumbling noise somewhere close by.

"What is that?" Alice thought aloud.

"She's just purring," Boris, answered.

"Purring?" She asked and glanced at the cub.

Her turquoise orbs widened when she noticed that the kitten's amber eyes were shut and she breathed in and out slowly.

"Looks like I'll have to take her home," Alice stated, "Thanks for finding her."

"Hey, she found me!" Boris chuckled.

* * *

A few days passed and the Roleholder once again found himself sitting under a shady tree, simply sweltering.

"Man it sure is hot again today!" he sighed to himself.

_***CRACK!* **_

A smirk came to his face. _"Looks like she's at it again," _he thought.

Rustling sounds coming from the nearby bushes confirmed his suspicions.

He started to walk, hoping to trip up the girl.

Another swishing sound from the shrubbery caused him to turn, **"GOT'CHA!"**

Yet the forest was the thing he saw when he had fully turned.

"I could have sworn…," he mumbled and as he strolled away, something crashed into his neck and wrapped it.

"I got you this time Aniki!" a familiar voice resulted in the tomcat facing the cub and falling on his bottom.

"I guess you did," Boris chuckled.

"Hey Aniki, come over here," Tora motioned to over to some foliage and dashed into them.

The Roleholder got up and followed the cub. Her amber eyes peeked through some of the leaves and motioned for him to do the same. He did the same and saw the foreigner pushing some of the plants aside so she could inside them.

"Tora! Where did you go? Tora!" Alice called.

"Do you think I can get her too?" the kitten asked.

"Well, I'd like to see you try," the tomcat remarked.

"Okay then," she muttered. With a look of determination in her eyes and her pink tongue touching her lips, she lowered herself and then jumped in the air.

"_**ANEKI!"**_

* * *

**That is all I have for now! I know more than four people read my last chapter so I want at least five reviews or else this story ends up in my computer's recycle bin!** **Do you guys want another Roleholder/Kid chapter or An Alice with the kids one? She hasn't really been in this story to much lately, hasn't she? Well if you tell what you want I'll see what I can do. **

**But first you have to give me what I want and I WANT REVIEWS!  
**

**Daisuki~**


	24. Chapter 24 A Present for OneeChan!

**I'm sorry for this late chapter. My computer suddenly froze and deleted this chapter so I had to retype it all over again! :( DX **

**I'm planning on redoing the profiles of the girls after this chapter so check it out. (Don't expect them all on the same day.)**

**Just keep reading this story.**

**Please review this chapter. I need to know I'm loved.**

**Don't own anything.**

* * *

Chapter 24 A Present for Onee-Chan! She Remembers Now!

Alice walked in the snowy path. Her mind was replaying the morning's events.

_That morning seemed like most mornings in the Tower. Alice was about to go out for groceries. She was in her room with the girls who playing a game._

"_Does anyone want to come with me?"_

_All the girls seemed to busy staring at cards with a blue pattern on the back of them._

"_Do you have any threes?" the small mouse asked._

"_Sorry, Go fish," her feline friend replied._

_The green-eyed girl reached for the deck in the middle of the crowd._

"_Sorry Onee-chan. We're busy right now," the little rabbit said, glancing at the maiden then back at her hand._

"_Are you sure you girls want to come with me? We could hit the book store, didn't you all say that you would like to read some new stories?" the foreigner suggested._

"_We are fine," the bluenette commented. "Do you have any fives, Uta-chan?"_

"_Yeah," the red head in braids answered and she handed over a card to the girl to right._

"_How about that new clothes store? You guys can pick out something you like." the maiden conjectured. _

"_We are fine, no thanks, Onee-sama," the noirette with white ribbons in her hair._

"_How about the toy store? I'm sure there are some new stuff toys on sale." Alice added._

"_We are fine, Ane-chan. We don't need anything," the little hare commented, her tone was tenser that the other girls._

"_Are you sure that none of you want to come with me?" the maiden asked again, in a teasing tone._

"_Well…" the Tweedle in red started to glance over at her._

_Her cousin gave her a quick pinch on the cheek._

"_**OW!" **_ _Takara hollered. She glared at the similar girl on her right who glared back at her. "We don't need anything."_

"_Maybe we could stop at the café…" the young woman sustained her tone._

"_Aneue if you don't get going, then all the stores will be closed," the small girl with the bowler on her head criticized._

"_Okay, okay, I'll be leaving," Alice commented and walked away. _

"_I wonder what those girls are up to…I hope they cause any trouble," the foreigner pondered._

* * *

"Is she gone?" Akahana asked.

"Yep!" The brunette in a ponytail replied. "She just left."

"Now we can get started," Natsuki interjected.

All the girls quickly threw the cards inter the bedside table's drawer and gathered in a circle.

"You know, Nee-san looked like she having fun teasing us with all those stores," the rain cloud haired child stated.

"That's because she's sadistic," Akahana answered.

"Sa-tist-dic," the little mouse pronounced. "What does that mean Hana-chan?"

"It means that means you like to tease people," the raven-haired girl claimed.

"How do you know that?" Utako uttered.

"One time, when I was going to the kitchen," Her friend started, "I heard my parents laughing very loudly in my father's office. I think Father just whispered something in Mother's ear, caused he was laughing and she giggled and giggled, 'You are such a sadistic devil.' 'I just can't myself around you, my dear,' is what my father said next and then I heard them kissing so I left."

"Blood-ani-chan does seem to like teasing people," Amai affirmed.

"Okay! Listen up! Now we all know, that Alice-onee-chan has been nothing but nice to us since we got here," the ivory rabbit continued.

"She took us in when we got separated from our families," Aoi observed.

"She tucks us in our bed at night," Midori added.

"She takes care of us," Yumeko agreed.

"You see? Now, I think maybe we should get her something to show that we appreciate everyone she's done for us," the rabbit stated.

"A present for Alice-nee…" Fumiko sighed. "I like it!"

"Me too!" her crimson cousin agreed.

"All those in favor of giving a gift Onee-chan, say I," Natsuki stated.

"_**I!" **_all the girls cheered.

"All opposed?" the ruby-eyed rabbit asked.

It was quiet as a tomb for a few seconds.

"The 'I's have it! Let's go!" the white haired girl declared.

"Yeah!" all of her friends declared.

* * *

All of the girls assembled at fountain, its water unmoving due to the chilly season. They were discussing the matter of the object in which they should give the maiden.

"Maybe a dress?" Tama suggested.

"Nah, too fancy," Tora objected. "We should get something simple, you know something she can always have with her."

"Maybe we should give her a new ribbon?" the mouse offered.

"Now that's too simple. It needs to be something special," Akahana disapproved.

"Um… How about a locket?" the child with cobalt hair asked.

"A locket?" Mamoru repeated.

"I mean…Onee-chama can wear it all the time that can take of the matter and she can even put a picture of all of us inside, so that she can always remember us," Aoi explained.

"I like it! That's a great idea, Aoi-chan!" Natsuki commented. "All those in favor of getting Onee-chan a locket say I again."

"_**I!" **_the word once more rang out in the small crowd.

"All opposed?" the albino asked again.

No one objected to the matter again.

"Okay! Now we need to get Onee-chan a locket and a picture of all of us in it," the rabbit stated.

"Do we have enough money for a locket?" the hare asked.

All the girls started to dig into their pockets. They held out their hands, a few coins in each pair of mitts.

"How much do we have?" Yumeko questioned.

"By the looks of it, we have about fifty Quin on us," Utako voiced.

"I don't think we can afford a photographer," the mouse commented.

"How about we use a photo booth?" The girl with red woven hair suggested.

"I don't think a booth is big enough for all of us, Uta-chan," Akahana stated.

"Maybe if we get individual pictures done and then stick them in there together," the red head offered.

"I think we should go find a locket first and see how big it is so them we can decide on the picture," The navy haired child advised.

"Aoi-chan, you are such a smart little sister!" the brunette cooed and quickly clumped on her friend.

"I'm not your little sister, but thanks for the compliment," Aoi replied.

* * *

They found the store with several white faceless heads and hands, adorned with fine jewelry, shown off in its windows. They quickly dashed into the store, immediately seeing glass counters displaying jewelry found on only on the richest of the rich. They sparkled like small stars. The shone so bright, you would have thought you would have gone blind. Much like I am going blind right now, with the sun shining through my window into my eyes.

The girls walked up to a wooden counter with a silver counter bell, just waiting to sing. Only problem was that it was too tall for the girls to reach the chime. They all looked at each other and a mutual plan formed.

"Hold still, Amai-chan! Stop moving!" Akahana commanded.

"Just try to hold still, Hana-chan," her friend below her pleaded, rocking back and forth. "I don't want you to step on my ears! Try using my shoulders first!"

"I'll try!" the noirette above her called, but she stomped one of the appendages her friend didn't want her to.

"_**OWCH!" **_ the hare hollered, her body then started to shake like an earthquake.

"_**HEY!" **_the noirette called, trying to settle herself and her wobbly friend but it was in vain. She was able to ring the bell once before she fell like a building block.

Akahana rubbed her head then realized that she had landed on her friend.

"Oops! Sorry Amai-chan!" she apologized as scrambled off her friend.

"I'm okay…" Amai uttered, shaking her head.

"May I help you?" deeper voice asked.

The girls looked up to see a well-dressed man standing behind the booth. His arms were crossed, his fingers drumming at each arm.

"Hello there good sir," Utako started. "We were looking for a locket for a special young lady."

"I see," the faceless man sneered, "Let me see what we have."

The male left from the girls for a minute and came back with a selection of jewelry befitting royalty.

The girls gaze upon the different gemstones and precious metals. One was giant gold square with the smallest diamonds all along the sides. Another was a sliver colored circle with a chain made of a rainbow of gems.

"I like this one," Takara stated pointing to the one she liked.

It was a gold one. It wasn't as big as the first one or as flashy as the second one, yet this one was definitely pretty. It had a large aquamarine stone in a heart shape right in the center, there was light string of light blue pearls attached.

"That's a really nice one, Taka-chan," Fumiko commented.

"Excuse us, how much is that is that piece of jewelry?" Akahana asked.

"One hundred and twenty Quin," the salesman responded.

"No really, how much is it sir?" the noirette questioned.

"One hundred and twenty Quin," he repeated.

The girls all turned towards each other quickly whispering to each other, then they all nodded their heads. Natsuki took a step forward.

"Pwease mister? Can you pwease tell us much you really mean mister?" she asked.

"Yeah pwease mister, pwetty pwease tell us how much you really mean?" Akahana pleaded, her light marine eyes started to shine.

"Mister you wouldn't turn the these adorable kids, would ya?" Mamoru questioned.

"Cute," the man retorted. He walked away from the counter, taking the jewelry with him. The girls looked around to find him standing behind them.

The next thing they knew, the girls were outside, some on their backs or buts.

"I can't believe he threw us out! He can't do that to us!" the midnight black haired girl fumed, adjusting her hat.

"Okay! Let's try that again!" the albino girl cheered.

The two ran through the doors and then found themselves flying out of them again.

"Wow! Déjà vu!" the little brunette chuckled.

"On second thought, maybe he can," Akahana admitted.

"Okay, let's try a different store. I bet we will have better luck somewhere else," the little rabbit commented.

* * *

They tried different stores. These were the results:

"Humph! Get out of here you little beggars!" This shout came from a very heavy woman wearing enough adornments would make up at least half her weight.

"I never want to see you little rascals in here again!" Another angry storekeeper hollered. This one was in a rather cheap suit missing a button.

"Why don't you kids go play house and leave the adults alone?" One more woman bellowed, this one a skinny as a rail, with a cigarette that made the girls smell like a smoke spare rib.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I learned something," Tora started.

They were once again back at the fountain, sitting on or on the girl Only this time they felt more depressed than confused and determined.

"Yeah, you can't haggle with jewelry stores. Only with flea markets, small stores, and your parents," Tama stated.

"Especially your fathers," the noirette sighed, adjusting her hat on her head.

They all nodded and sighed.

"Well, if at first you don't succeed," the little rabbit sighed, "Try, try again."

"I don't think that we can find a store that will give us a locket for under fifty Quins," the hare commented.

"I'm sorry everyone," Aoi muttered. "If I didn't suggest this, then we wouldn't feel so bad." She started to sniffle and wiped her nose with her sleeve.

"Don't worry, Aoi-chan," Natsuki assured, "We can find something different for Onee-chan! I'm sure she would like something else."

"So what do we get Nee-san?" Yumeko asked.

"Well I don't know, but I'm sure something we will find something!" the albino girl cried out.

She hopped off the fountain and started to pace, her face focused on her thoughts. Every few steps she would brighten up but then would shake her head and go back to her gait.

"Well, got anything yet?" Mamoru asked.

"No," the rabbit sighed. "I'm sure something will come to me, soon."

At that moment, a rather large snow white cardboard fell right on her.

"Well, that was fast," Akahana commented.

* * *

Alice stared out the window of the sitting room, idly swirling her tea with a spoon. She sighed as she remembered what happened when she came home. She found at note, written child-like scribble, explaining that the girls had left. The maiden turned to the Roleholders for an explanation on why they had not seen them leave.

Nightmare: "I was captured by Gray!"

Gray: "I was busy with Nightmare-sama. I'm sorry."

Julius: "I was working. There is no need to worry. They all went together, so they should be."

"_I hope their mothers are better at watching the kids than their husbands," _the fair-haired maiden hoped.

_***SLAM!***_

The foreigner stood up and ambered over the door, finding all the girls smiling. The white rabbit girl was right in front of her, the child's hands were behind her back.

"There you girls are! What were you girls doing?" she asked, her tone was rather angry.

The grins seemed to instantly vanish, Natsuki looked down and replied in a low voice, "We're sorry, Onee-chan. We just wanted to go out."

"The next time you all go out, why don't you go with me? What if you got hurt or lost?" the young lady questioned again.

"If we did that, then we couldn't surprise you," Akahana commented.

"Surprise me?" Alice inquired.

"_**TAA-DAH!" **_all the children cheered.

The albino's hands appeared with a small blue box with light white polka dots all over it. There was a darker shade of azure bow sitting right on top of it.

"We got this for you, as a way to say thank you for everything you've done for us," Tama explained.

The foreigner took the container away and studied it. "Where did you get this?"

"Well," Natsuki started, "We were at the fountain, thinking about what to give you, when it me!"

"Literally!" Mamoru grinned.

"Yeah, it fell right on her head!" Takara explained.

"It's the truth!" her cousin agreed.

"Really?" the maiden queried.

"Well, yeah," the rabbit admitted.

"A really big box fell on her, after it fell of a truck," Midori began, "We noticed the truck go by so we followed. When it stopped, we told the driver what had happened, he gave us this as a thank you present."

"Go ahead Ane-chan! Open it up!" the hare encouraged.

"Yeah, open it Aneki!" the kitten cheered.

Alice stared at the gift, her curiosity showing in her eyes. She pulled at the ribbon, then reached for the tabs and pulled them off to reveal what was inside. She reached inside the pull out the object inside.

"We were going to get you get something else, but we thought that you might like this too," Utako explained.

The gift was a gray camera. It reminded her of the ones back home there some subtle differences. This one was slightly bigger and there was an odd slit on the side.

"Hey girls… what is this slot for?" the foreigner asked, her voice was light and confused.

"That's where the picture comes out, it's one of those instant cameras," Natsuki explained.

"Oh I see…" Alice trailed off, still studying the camera.

"Onee-chan?" the rabbit asked, but the words just hung in the air.

Suddenly, a memory came to the maiden.

* * *

_She just a little girl back then and was sitting next to a woman, hovering over several pictures spread across an oak table, watching her pick up some photos and placed them in a book in front of them. _

_The female stopped at two images, her aquamarine eyes darting back from picture to picture._

"_Hey Alice, which one you think would look better right here?" she asked._

_Alice looked at the different handheld scenes. One showed three men in suits, his friends, were holding up the one in middle his ivory suit stain pink from the liquid, its competition showing a group of cherry dressed girls sitting on some stairs._

_The little girl wrapped her fingers around her chin, her cyan orbs swing like a pendulum from one side to another. She took one the photos and turned around so that the woman could see the men laughing._

"_I like this one, it's really funny!" she giggled._

"_Yes,"her older companion agreed, "I bet when they see this picture, they'll remember how the best man tried to confess his feelings to his crush, but got so nervous, he tripped and fell into the punch bowl!"_

_The girl felt proud of her choice, so proud that she started to look through the arrangement of images on the table and picked up another one._

"_How about we put this one right next to it?" she asked. In her small hand, the sight of the man in the middle, shoulders still cherry cheek to cheek with a young woman in tea-length pink gown. Both of them wore blush and warm smiles._

"_You sure know how pick them Alice," the adult commented. "You are definitely my daughter to pick these first." She took the photo out of the child's hands and stuck it next to the first one._

"_Because they are funny and cute?" the kid asked, tilting her noggin._

_Her mother shook her head, her fair curls following her movements. "No," she started, "They tell a story. They are full of life. I love taking pictures that make people laugh, make people reminisce, making them remember happy times and maybe a few sad times too, but that is life. A picture should not just be people posed; it should have life with it. It should be a memory frozen, so you won't forget it."_

"_Okay," Alice said instantly but paused a minute, giving her parent's words some time to sink in, "Wait. What?"_

_The woman chuckled, "You'll understand when you are older."_

"_I hope so," she replied and looked up at the clock. "Hahaoya!__*****__ you've got ten minutes to get ready for the client!" _

"_Yes dear, I have a __**whole **__ten minutes left," her parent agreed._

"_No_ _Hahaoya! You __**only**__ have ten minutes left!" the girl disagreed._

"_Well, looks like I'm going to need help," the adult stated, "Would you help me out?"_

"_Okay!" Alice cheered._

"_That's why I love you Alice; you always help me out when I need you," her Hahaoya giggled._

"_I love you too, Hahaoya," the girl declared. _

* * *

"_Hahaoya…"_

"**ONEE-CHAN!" **the word shook Alice out of her memory.

"What? What's going on?" The maiden asked, her head swishing around, trying to find the source of the problem.

"**ONEE-CHAN WHAT'S WRONG? YOU'RE CRYING!" **Natsuki hollered.

The foreigner touched her face and looked down at her fingertips, soaked with saltwater.

"Did you not like the present?" the mouse girl inquired.

"No," the blonde maiden responded. "I actually I love it."

"Then, why are you crying?" Yumeko asked.

"It's because my hahaoya used to take pictures," Alice explained. "She really loved doing it. It was her hobby and her job. She passed away when I was around your age. It's been so long since I thought about her."

"So Onee-chama has had sad times," Aoi stated, a worried look in her sapphire eyes.

The foreigner smiled, "Well, I do, but I had friends back in my old world who were there for me. Now, I have all my friends here and you girls too. It hurts to lose someone you love, but when you have people who support and care about you, it takes away some of the pain."

The girls took a few minutes to take in all in this new information.

"Ane, don't worry about losing your memories about your Mom," Mamoru assured. "We should know about that better than anyone. "

"That's true," Tama stated.

The girls started to giggle, even the maiden started to laugh.

"You know, this doesn't mean you guys out of the woods yet," Alice started. "You're still in trouble for going out by yourselves."

"Way to break the mood," Akahana affirmed.

"And I've got the perfect idea…" the foreigner continued.

The kids gulped simultaneously.

"How about helping me break this new camera?" she asked.

They all sighed. Then cheered, "Okay!"

* * *

"Okay everyone, steady now," the maiden commanded; she continued to focus the camera, aiming at the girls standing in front of the forest of pink blossoms.

"Smile!" she exclaimed.

_***CLICK!***_

_***FLASH!***_

In an instant, a slice of film came out the slot on the side. Alice was surprised how fast it came out. She tugged on it, revealing all four sides, containing all the girls, beaming happily in a group.

"So how did it turn out?" Tama asked.

"See for yourselves," the maiden replied.

All the girls rushed over to see the photo.

Everyone seemed to be impressed.

"The cherry trees in the background make it look really pretty!" Yumeko commented.

"Whenever the school year started back in my world, my friends and I used take a group picture under the cherry trees*****,"the maiden explained, "Since it's the first picture I took in Wonderland, I thought this place would be a good place to start."

"Are you sure that we shouldn't have taken it somewhere more exciting or beautiful?" Akahana asked. "Or do some different kind of poses?"

"Don't worry, I think this a perfect picture," the foreigner started.

"How so?" the noirette inquired.

"Because this is a picture that my hahaoya would have loved," Alice smiled.

* * *

***Hahaoya- a more formal way of addressing one's mother than Okaa-san. This was the only thing i could find for Alice to call her mother without spoilers.  
**

***School year started, under the cherry trees- The school year in Japan starts in the spring, somewhere in March or April**

**Since the story deals with the girl's mothers as well as their fathers, I put in a flashback of Alice's own mother. I want to make sort a silly yet kind mom, so this is the result.**

**In my next story, some of Alice's friends have more flashy occupations and odd personalities, and with Alice being one of the more grounded and normal type, I thought photography would suit her. **

**I hope that you guys like this chapter. This is the last one I'll do before school starts. **_***SIGH***_** Summer was fun while it lasted…**

**If you don't review, the girls will cry!**

**Daisuki~**


	25. Chapter 25 Taking Care of Otousama!

"_**WAHHH!"**_

**Suzu-chan: What's wrong Natsuki?**

**Natsuki: We didn't get any reviews!**

**Suzu-chan: Yes we did! **

**Akahana: Just a few…**

**Aoi: Doesn't anybody love us?**

**Suzu-chan: I do! That's why I write about you guys!**

"_**WAHH!"**_

**See what you guys started?**

**Review more! Anything that comes to mind is welcome!**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

Chapter 25 Taking Care of Otou-sama! A Scary Dream is Soothed!

"_**ACHOO!"**_

The sudden gust of wind caused in the mountain of tissue paper to float away, revealing a red-nosed incubus sniffling.

"He definitely has a cold," the maiden commented.

"I think you might be right," the lizard agreed.

"Thank you for that diagnosis, Doctor and Nurse obvious," Nightmare scoffed and sneezed once more.

"_**ACHOO!"**_

_***KNOCK! KNOCK!***_

Everyone in the room turned to the door.

"Can I come in?" a small voice requested.

"Sure, come in," Gray answered.

The door creaked and an ash haired girl holding a tray with a bowl with some kind of creamy liquid, a glass of water, and some crackers. The platter was too big for these objects for every step she took made the objects slide.

"Hello there Yumeko, what are you doing?" Alice asked.

"I heard that Nightmare-nii-san was sick, so I got him some soup," Yumeko replied.

"That's very kind of Yumeko," the grey haired Roleholder commented. He then turned to the adults in the room, "Why don't you two treat me like that?"

"Because we are not naïve little girls?" the foreigner remarked.

The bed-ridden man just hmped and turn over, covering himself with the light blue sheets.

"_**ACHOO!"**_

"Nightmare-sama! You need to get up, there still is some work to be done," The dark haired Roleholder stated.

"What are you doing?" the little girl asked. She set the platter down on the bedside table.

"I'm trying to get Nightmare to his work but he won't get out of bed," the lizard explained.

"But if someone is sick, shouldn't you let them rest?" the child inquired.

"If I did that, then he would never work at all," Gray retorted.

"Couldn't you let him rest while he has a cold?" Yumeko asked.

"Sorry, but he has to get his work done," the man replied.

"_**NO! NII-SAN IS GOING TO STAY IN BED!" **_the little girl bellowed.

The two who were standing took step back; the man peeked out from the blanket. This couldn't be quiet Yumeko, could it?

Yumeko strolled over to cot. She got on the bed and crouched down on her hands and knees, peering into the opening in quilt. "Nii-san, you're lying on bed wrong. If you crouched like that then you won't be able to get better," she commented. "Now come on, lay in bed the right way."

The incubus did as he was told, lying on the bed with his head on the white pillows.

The half demon jumped off the bed and strolled over to the standing duo.

"Shoo! Shoo!" she ushered, waving her hands towards them.

"What?" the maiden asked.

"Nii-san can't get to sleep with everyone in his room," the girl ushered. "Shoo! I can take of Nii-san by myself."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" the lizard questioned.

"Yes! Leave everything to Yume-chan!" the girl assured.

The two found themselves in the hallway with a shut door behind them.

"Okay…What was that?" the maiden asked to one in particular.

"I thought you knew, spending so much time with the girls," the Roleholder stated.

It was then that a certain noirette with pigtails strolled in.

"What's wrong?" she asked, "You two look like you've seen a ghost."

"I think we saw something similar to it," Alice admitted.

Tama glanced at the door and then back at the couple still standing there.

"Ah! I see. You saw Yume-chan's scary side," the little girl commented.

"Scary side?" the lizard asked.

"Yep," the girl started, "Yume-chan is usually sort of quiet and a little spacey, but if someone she cares about gets sick or injured, she becomes a little mean and pushy to make sure they get rest and take care of them. "

"I guess that's what happened," Alice stated, "Will she be okay?"

"Yume-chan is actually a pretty good nurse," the child commented. "One time, I tripped and sprained my ankle and had to stay in bed for a few days. Yume-chan put a lot of ice packs on my injury and even gave me massages when my shoulders got stiff. She'll be fine."

* * *

Over the next few hours, Nightmare had been massaged, fed, and swaddled. His pillows had been fluffed every hour on the hour, and his sheets, during the time his little nurse was on the job ,had been stained from blood that came out of the incubus's mouth, were now clean and fresh from the dryer, still retaining some of the heat from the appliance.

"There we go!" the girl sighed, wiping her forehead and beamed. "How those that feel, Nii-san?"

"This is bliss! I can't thank you enough!" the Roleholder exclaimed. He stretched his arms over his head then used them as a headrest.

"There's no need to thank me," Yumeko flushed. "I like taking care of people especially those I care about. I love you Nii-san so I want always to take care of you."

For a moment there was a warm moe atmosphere for a few moments…until the incubus threw up some more blood in his hand.

"_**AH! NII-SAN!" **_ The little girl screamed. _**"WHAT'S WRONG?"**_

"Nothing, I was just really happy," Nightmare moaned.

"What am I going to do with you?" the girl sighed. Yumeko took out her plum handkerchief and started to rub it against the crimson stain in the sickly man's palm.

The Roleholder stared at the child for a few minutes, who busy with the plasma in his hand.

"Why are you so concerned?" he asked.

"Huh?" the half demon looked up from the liquid.

"Usually people don't care whether or not I'm sick but you do," the man continued.

The child glanced down at the hand, a light blush on her face. "Well I guess it's because this happens a lot in my family," she replied.

"Really?" Nightmare inquired.

"Yeah," Yumeko answered, "Everyone except my Okaa-sama gets sick really easily. The flu, colds, fevers, you name them, we catch them. Whenever I get sick, my Otou-sama takes care of me, even if he gets sick himself, he tries to make me feel better. He tells me stories and he helps me get to sleep. Therefore, whenever my Otou-sama gets sick, I try to return the favor. After a while, I just realized that I like taking care of my family and my friends too. So whenever some is injured or ill, I just want to everything I can to take care of them."

The incubus was a little busy taking in the news but then noticed the girl noggin was bobbing up and down and her lids were fluttering open and closed.

"Are you sleepy?" He asked.

"Kinda, I've had trouble sleeping lately," the girl admitted.

"How so?" the man inquired.

"I have this scary dream," she started.

* * *

"_That's it, Yumeko. Almost there!" a male voice cheered._

_The little girl focused hard, she stared at the clouds above her. There were people looking down from them._

"_That's it Yume-chan! You can do it!" A female voiced._

"_Yume-chan, go for it!" another woman, this one's high pitch, cheered._

"_Almost there," the floating girl grunted. She was so close; the clouds were just a few feet away. Yet, she found her strength draining from her. Yumeko continued to inch up but at a slower rate. She stopped in the air, trying to rest, when something slipped itself around her. _

"_Don't worry, that's enough for today," the man stated. _

_He tightened his hold slightly and they both ascended to the clouds. There several dark figures sitting on the clouds, one was taller and her arms stretched out, hoping to hold her daughter. On another cloud, there were two more just a little bit taller than Yumeko, one a boy and the other a girl. There was a cloud in the between the groups serving as a table for a set with some cookies on matching china. The little girl drifted into the woman's arms. The Roleholder_

"_That's a nice try, Yume-chan," the female adult complimented. She gently petted the child's silver locks. The girl curled up close to her chest._

"_That was pretty good, but I'm the best when it comes to floating," a little boy boasted._

"_Hey watch it son," the man stated. "This is my world we're in now."_

"_Not for long…" the lad chirped._

"_What was that?" the incubus asked in harsh tone._

"_Nothing…" the child sighed._

_Yumeko and her mother just simply chuckled while the other female stretched out to get a cookie. She had a little trouble for the clouds were rather thin so things kept sinking every so often. She had to pull up the dish to set again on the fluffy surface._

"_Can we go down now, it's kind of hard to stay on top," the shadow girl requested._

"_Yeah, it's kind of cold of up here," the girl in the woman's arms admitted. She then let out a small sneeze._

"_Alright, let's see what I can do," the incubus said. _

_In the blink of an eye, the soft gray clouds they sat down on seemed to sprout into green grass. The kaleidoscope of color that usual in the dream world's sky, speckles of blue, purple, green, and white, faded into one shade of blue with patches of ivory sown in. The girl slipped out of the woman's grasp and crawled over to get a cookie. _

"_It was just what I was thinking," The woman commented, "Thank you."_

"_It's what I do," the man shrugged. _

_The two lean in close to each other, their lips gently touching._

"_Awww," the two girls sighed._

"_Eww," the boy groaned. He then pointed to his open mouth and made a gagging sound. _

_The woman retracted and covered her mouth with a fist, a pale cherry stain on her dark face. The man just chuckled and slid his arm around your shoulders. _

_It was just a simple sweet image of a family. Yumeko smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying warmth of the sun, sighing to be able to be with all of her family, even if it was just a dream._

_Until she opened her eyes and was alone._

_Everything was black. There was nothing. No sky. No grass. No family. Not even a breeze. It was like a large black room with nothing inside _

"_Otou-sama?" she called out. "Okaa-sama?" _

_The only sound was her echo. _

_Suddenly, a new sound rang in the room. Someone else was with her._

_The girl tried to find the source of the sound._

_It found her instead._

_When the noise got louder and stopped, she turned around and saw someone behind her. An adult with a weird face. Pale white with one round black eye and a red smile._

"_Kekekeh…" the person chortled. They pulled something shiny and the girl can see her reflection in it._

_Fear immediately burst through her veins, she dashed away. She could only hear her footsteps, her breathing, and her heart, trying to jump out of her chest._

_The girl finally stopped when her legs started to burn. She panted while looking around, seeing if the person was still around. When no one was around, she fell to her knees. _

"_**THUMP! THUMP!" **_

_She looked up. She saw the face. And the shining object thrusting towards her…_

* * *

"And that's when I wake up," Yumeko finished.

The incubus stared at the child. Chills were going down his spine. He wrapped himself tighter in the blanket.

"I'm having trouble sleeping lately and I get lonely when I get up," she admitted.

"Lonely?" the man repeated.

"Yeah, I mean," the girl continued, "When I have this dream, Nee-san comforts me. Yet, it makes me miss my Otou-sama and Okaa-sama just a little bit."

The man continued to look at the girl. She then felt something pull her head on a white pillow. Her cloud gray eyes met the man's own orbs.

"Let me help you," Nightmare whispered.

"Eh?" she asked.

"You took care of me, so let me return the favor," he answered.

The girl stated to snuggle into the cushion.

"I guess its okay," she mumbled. "But wake me up after a few hours okay?"

"Why?" he questioned.

"Because I want to be able to care of you," she explained. Her little eyelids were fluttering like butterfly wings, fighting the urge to close.

He beamed, "Don't worry about that. You've taken great care of me. Time for you take a break."

The child started to breathe slowly, her consciousness slipping away. "Are you sure?"

Nightmare pulled the light blue sheet over them, wrapping it around the two, like a cocoon. "Don't worry," he assured. "I'll be right here to make sure you don't have that scary dream again."

"Okay," the child sighed. She soon drifted off, just as the man next to her did.

Yumeko's eyelids battered again. When they opened, they glanced around trying to make sense of her surroundings. The orbs halted when she noticed the still dozing incubus.

"_I knew it, no matter what, Otou-sama always gives me good dreams," _she smiled to herself.

The girl cuddled up to the man's chest. _"I guess it's okay if my break goes on for a few more minutes."_

She dozed off once more, feeling completely safe and warm in his arms.

* * *

**Remember to review! Do you want to make the girls cry again?**

**Daisuki~**


	26. Chapter 26 HideandSeek with Touchan!

**Hooray! Daisuki Papa is one year old! **

**Banzai!**

**To all of the people who favorited this story and me as well as the people who got authors alerts and/or story alerts, you are the ones who truly kept story alive!**

**(I'm sorry I can't name you all, I have bad memory, I'm lazy, and I'm sure that it might take a while to name you all. I know you know who you are and I send my love out to all of you who read this story.**

**I love you all (like a warm moe love) and hope you continue read what I write. I hope I can finish this story by Christmas, if not next summer.**

* * *

Chapter 26 Hide-and-Seek with Tou-chan! The Chase is On!

"_**COME ON OUT, YOU STUPID RAT!"**_

The voice sent chills down his spine. The dormouse kept his cramped position, hoping that his predator would pass him. He continued to pray, while using his furry mocha ears to listen.

The smaller Roleholder heard several steps, taking it as a sign. He took a sigh of relief.

"I found you," the cat chanted.

The words made the mouse jump up and dash madly forward. The Cheshire chased after him.

"_**YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!" **_two voices called out.

_***CRASH!***_

The sound made the mouse halt and glance back. His emerald eyes noticed that there were two pink felines, both rather dizzy from the collision. They were both rubbing their heads.

A slight tugging on his hand made him look towards a little girl with similar ears to his. "Come on, Onii-tan this way."

She continued to jerk him over to an oak tree. The girl touched the bark and she then screamed, _**"I AM SAFE!"**_

It was then the little kitten shook her head and noticed the two by the tree.

"_**AW! SHOOT!" **_she yelled, kicking some dirt.

"Eh? What's going on?" the shorter Roleholder asked.

"We're playing hide and seek, and I won again!" the little mouse cheered.

"I'm gonna get you next time!" The cub swore, and then turned to the teen, next to her. "Are you okay, aniki? Sorry about hitting you."

"I'm okay, don't worry about it," Boris stated, he still had a rather confused look in his only visible eye. He shook his own head and faced the girl. "Hey Tora! How have you been?"

"I'm fine," the pink kitty girl replied.

"You wanna play again, Tora-chan?" Midori asked.

"Okay! This time I'm gonna get you for sure!" the kitten declared.

"We'll see," the vermin girl stated. She then turned to the Roleholder next to her. "Hey, Onii-tan, want to play with us."

"What? I guess so." the Dormouse shrugged.

"Hey Aniki, you wanna play too?" the cub enjoined.

"Sure!" the tomcat agreed.

"Eh?" the smaller Roleholder gasped.

"Okay! Midori and Pierce-aniki versus Boris-aniki and me!" the pink haired girl declared.

"Let's go, Onii-tan," Midori chirped, she took the Dormouse's hand and guided him away from the cat couple. She stopped and looked over her shoulder."Now, close your eyes and count to one hundred, and in that order!"

"Fine," the girl behind her sighed, "One, Two, Three…"

"You too, Boris-onii-tan!" the little girl commanded.

"Yeah, yeah," Boris agreed and turned around.

* * *

While the flush colored felines droned, the two red headed mice dashed off into the Amusement Park.

"_**WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, MIDORI?"**_ Pierce whined.

"What?" the little girl asked.

"_**WE HAVE TWO CATS AFTER US NOW!"**_ he hollered and then lowered himself in dismay, "What are we going to do?"

"Don't worry, Onii-tan," the girl assured. "Midori is the best at playing hide-and-seek!"

"How is that going to help?" the teen questioned.

"All you have to do is listen and follow me," the girl answered. "I know exactly what to do. This way!"

She guided him to an area with tables with tall colorful umbrellas sprouting out of a hole in the middle, their shadows covering the sitting customers. Around them were several stations, their products' scents filling the air, making anyone who passed by the place hungry.

"Come on, this way!" the little girl ushered. She led him to one of the mini-stores, or rather behind it. There was a dark door and she simply opened it and strolled right in.

Two of the amusement park's workers stood inside, one hovering over a circular machine, holding a paper cone. When he lifted it, it wore a high black and white wig. He then stood paced it on a rack along with its friends wearing fluffs of different colors. His partner was pouring some sugar and the blue contents of a squirt bottle and pouring it into the appliance.

"Excuse us, is it okay if we hang out here for a few minutes?" Midori asked. "We promise not to be any trouble."

"Of course!" the cheerful red headed female worker complied. "Feel free to stay as long as you need!"

"Great!" the little girl cheered. The mouse girl started to scan her surroundings. The table on the back row seemed covered in bags and bottles with different colored liquids. There were two jackets similar to the other worker with matching overlarge hats.

"Perfect!" Midori thought aloud. She started to jump and down, finally clutching a piece of the canary fabric. Her hand tugged the coat its hook and tossed it to the Roleholder. "Here put this on," she instructed.

The Roleholder stared at piece of clothing, pondering what she was thinking. Yet, he put the jacket on anyway.

The girl continued to scope out the place noticing the barstool that was standing by itself. She strolled over to the furniture and scrapped it across the floor until she got it over to the hanging rack. She climbed up to the cushion and put on the second coat.

"This too," the girl added, throwing the traditional cap for male workers at him.

"Umm…What are we doing?" Pierce asked, glancing back and forth between the hat and the girl.

"We are hiding, of course," she answered.

"Really?" The vermin teen questioned.

"Just make sure the hat covers your ears, okay?" the girl said as she was putting on the hat for the female employees. At first, the girl put it on the normal way, with it being perfectly horizontal, just like the girls. Only it slid down and covered her eyes, so she had to wear it by setting it by hanging on the back on her head.

"Hey, can you tell you us if Boris-onii-tan or Tora-chan comes around?" Midori requested.

"Of course, little miss," the female worker, agreed, still adding some glucose to the machine. When she stopped, the male took an empty cone and pushed a button, making the machine start. He swirled around the machine letting the colored cottony sugar collect on the circular top.

"Are sure that we are hiding?" the Roleholder asked.

"Yes, we are just waiting," the little girl, retorted.

"For what?" the mouse teen inquired.

"For the right moment to blend in," she returned.

* * *

The two felines scanned the area, still trying to find their prey.

"I guess you weren't kidding when you said that Midori was good at hide and seek," the tomcat commented.

"Yeah, but I'm sure is they are around here," the kitten stated. She sat down on a seat, feeling relieved when the shade from the colorful canopy hit her.

"Well, since I don't think we are going to find them anytime soon, so why don't we take a little snack break?" Boris suggested.

"That's a good idea," the pink girl agreed. "And I know just what I'm in the mood for." Her sun colored eyes started at a stand with several puffs of colored cotton.

"Aniki, can you please get me some cotton candy?" Tora pleaded.

"Sure, "he answered.

The two strolled over on to the stall. There were four workers, two operating the machine while two more seemed be busy with ingredients.

"Hello there, Boris, what will you be having today?" the man holding an already made sweet.

"I want milk and strawberry one," the cub stated.

"I think that's sounds like something we both could enjoy," the Roleholder affirmed. "Sir, I'd like two strawberry and milk cotton candies."

"Right away!" the faceless man complied. He then noticed that he didn't have the right bottle of flavoring.

He turned to one of the other workers, "Excuse me, could you please pass me the strawberry flavoring?" he asked.

The male facing the back nodded quickly. He didn't turn around, his arm just stretched towards the man working the machine, holding a pink bottle. The bottle kept shaking due the fingers unsteadiness.

"Ah, thank you," the first guy stated and the bottle slipped from a bare hand and into a gloved one.

After a few minutes of waiting, the cats finally got their snacks.

"Come again!" the two called out in the traditional tone of the Amusement Park, over cheerful and energetic.

When the two felines left, the man facing the wall fell to his knees.

"That…was…close," the Roleholder panted.

"Yeah, if that got a step closer, they would have seen our tails," Midori agreed.

"Yet, I wonder how come they didn't realize we were here…" he mumbled.

"It's because of our disguises and the smells of the food court," the girl explained.

"How so?" the Roleholder asked.

"With all the food and people around, our scents just blended in," Midori explained. "And since we have red hair, from the back, people wouldn't notice that we weren't employees unless they saw our tails and the counters covered that part."

"You sure do know a lot…" the Dormouse, commented.

"When it comes to hide and seek, Mi-chan is the best!"

* * *

For the next couple of hours, the two mice were able to elude the cat couple. It was close sometimes, but they found safety once more on one of the park's rides.

"Wow, Onii-tan look how high up we are!" Midori cheered, looking out the glass windows of the slowly scaling compartment.

The green-eyed Roleholder sighed, he was just plain exhausted. Running around the park, the constant fear of being caught by not one but two cats did a toll on the mouse's heart, still ticking like a stopwatch in his chest.

"I had a lot fun today," the vermin girl stated, "Hide and seek is defiantly my favorite game!"

"You do seem to be good at it," the Dormouse stated.

"Yeah, since I'm small, I can slip into a lot of places," she explained. "However, I don't hide all the time, because I'm playing."

"Really?" He asked.

"Yeah, sometimes I bullied, so I tend to hide too," the girl admitted. "Since I get bullied a lot, sometimes whenever I get introduced by someone new I hide. Like when we first met. Sorry."

"No need to worry," the teen said. "I understand."

"I like hiding, but there is one time I regret doing it," Midori admitted.

"One time?" Pierce asked.

"I was playing with my friends, and I decided to hide to an old park," the girl started. "I waited for a long time for someone to find me. I felt so lonely…"

* * *

_The little girl curled herself up in a little ball. She looked down the slide and around. She was all by herself and some time ago, that was a good thing._

_Now it only made her lonely and scared._

"_Where is Uta-chan and Tora-chan?" she asked herself. "I want someone to hurry and find me."_

"_**MIDORI!"**_

"_**MIDORI-CHAN!"**_

_The two familiar voices caused the girl to look down the chute to see two familiar faces looking at her._

"_**KAA-CHAN, TOU-CHAN!" **__she hollered and slid down, landing right in the middle of them._

"_Are you okay?" the male asked._

"_I'm okay," the mouse girl answered. "You don't need to worry about me."_

"_What are you talking about?" The woman questioned. "We've been worried sick about you!"_

_Midori felt two sets arms wrap around her. _

"_We were so worried," the man stated, his breathing altered. From trying, catch his breath from running around crazy to trying to hold back his sobs._

"_Our precious Midori-chan," the female whispered, tears flowing down her cheeks like rain._

_The girl couldn't take it anymore, she had to let out her emotions. She clutched onto their shirts and started bawling._

* * *

"I made my parents really sad that day, so instead of hiding in places no one goes too, I hide in places where there of lots of people. I don't want to get lost and scare Kaa-chan and Tou-chan again," Midori finished.

Their surroundings suddenly shook and they realized. The ride was over.

"Looks like it's time to get off," the teen stated.

"I think we better be careful though," the girl commented.

"Why?" Pierce asked.

"Look at this," the child commanded.

The Roleholder did this and saw the two felines, still searching for them.

Sudden fear clenched his heart. "What should we do?" he asked.

"Make a run for it," the lass declared.

As soon as the door opened, the two ran as if the devil was behind them.

It was somewhat true, thought since the cats were chasing the mice.

However, don't worry, the mice duo made out okay.

Mice are just that good at hiding.

* * *

**Done! Now I have a question!**

**What would you gals like me to do next?**

**A) A chapter where the girls explained how they fell in love with Masahiko**

**B) A Masahiko chapter, possible Vivaldi/King shipping**

**C) A chapter that might lead to an actual plot.**

**Note I might do all of them, but I need a specific order from my fans in order to concentrate. **

**Daisuki~**


	27. Chapter 27 The One Side of a Love Story!

**This is probably my longest chapter. I don't know I'm too lazy to check. **

**Sorry to be so late, school is a … (please fill the blank for me. Whatever you want is good enough for me.)**

**I've decided to go B, A, and C in that order.**

**Why?**

**Because I can.**

**Any suggestions you have on the little girl's love stories would be nice!**

**Also I'd like to apologize to the person who wrote an anonymous review and i deleted it by mistake. To compensate I'm letting people do Anonymous reviews. Everybody should have a voice, right?  
**

**I own nothing…sigh…**

* * *

Daisuki Papa Chapter 27

The One Side of a Love Story! The Prince Plays Cupid?

Masahiko was watching two adults stand before him.

Vivaldi, a woman with a temper and power. She was a strong independent woman, and would order an execution for those who disobeye

Randolph Windsor, a calm rather timid man. He was gentle and often tries to calm Vivaldi and stop the beheading, hanging, or any other kind of killing the female ordered.

People call them the King and Queen of Hearts.

Masahiko had different names for them. Father and Mother.

Ever since he came to this time, he had been watching these two, especially harder when he learned that they were not married. He was trying to understand their relationship right now, but it puzzled him. He was scratching his crownless head, trying to sort out his thoughts. He continued his study as the queen sat next to him on her throne and the king stood before them with several sheets of paper in his hands.

"Vivaldi about this last item though," Randolph continued, "I think it would go if we did it this way. How about your opinion?"

"Humph… such a thing, either way is fine," Vivaldi replied.

"It won't go like that," he countered, "If you're not introducing the national request, dissatisfaction from the people will collect. The construction in public facilities is a priority."

"We'll just cut off any complaining guy's neck," the Queen of Hearts stated, "We'll annihilate anyone who tries to defy us."

"Vivaldi…" the King of Hearts uttered.

The boy started at a few minutes and then stated, "You two seem like a married couple."

The two adults glanced down at the child, both slightly stunned.

"What? Well, our relationship is rather duty-like," the male monarch said.

"What are you saying?" the female monarch asked. "We'll take off your head for talk like that."

"Sorry, if my comment offended you two," the prince apologized. "I was just thinking that you two act like a married couple, especially considering your positions.

The female Roleholder was staring at the child, her eyes revealing her annoyed emotion. She held that gaze until her male counterpart spoke up.

"If we are talking about our married life, I do want to marry you," he uttered.

"Oh?" The dark haired woman asked, her violet eyes burning at him. She stood out of her seat. "Why would you want to marry me?" Her cane was aimed right at him.

He avoided her heated gaze as he rubbed his neck, "Well I'm not getting any younger. I have been getting lonely at my age. Especially…"

He looked at the boy, unsure whether to continue his sentence.

"Ah!" Masahiko gasped. "Don't mind me. I already got that 'birds and bees' talk from my parents before my little sister was born."

Vivaldi couldn't help but chuckle, "We thought so. Even a child can see what you truly want. However, you are not our type. We don't like you."

"I see," the adult male muttered.

"You should be more upset," the female scowled. "If you truly wanted us, you should be more disappointed."

The boy could not help but feel concerned. It was not the first time he heard his parents disagree, but he was sure that they never said that they didn't like each. Of course, his parents were in love and married. "I'm sorry for being so blunt about the subject. It probably made you two feel very uncomfortable."

"Don't worry about it, lad," the male monarch assured. "I'm not sure I have the confidence to be married to her."

"That's true," Vivaldi affirmed, her tone more softer now. "You don't suit us. We're unsuitable."

"Well….I guess so…" the king mumbled.

"_**YOU STILL CONTINUE TO COWER? FOR A MAN WHO WANTS US, YOU LACK INTEREST!" **_the queen hollered.

The prince knew one thing it was this: When his mother got mad, it was best to keep quiet, remain still, and hide. That was why Masahiko was hiding the throne.

"If I persist in something that you'll disagree, you'll persist on taking me to the gallows. If I make noise and speak out loud, it's a beheading penalty," the grey haired male stated.

"It's only proper," the violet haired female retorted. "Such disobeying, we can't permit it."

"You are right," the male monarch agreed, his tone solemn "I won't defy you. Anytime, I'm your supporter."

Vivaldi's hands shook and tightened as she growled, **"What guts..."**

The female sovereign immediately started to storm off. She looked over her shoulder and called, "Masahiko, come with us!"

Masahiko also knew something else, when his mother was angry, it is best to do what she says. He scurried after her long strides.

"_**WAIT! VIVALDI!"**_ the king called, chasing after them.

The plum haired woman quickly turned and snatched the papers out of his hands. Her own manicured hands made the paper split into halves.

"_**WA? WA, WAIT! PLEASE WAIT! DON'T TEAR UP THE DOCUMENTS!" **_Randolph beseeched.

"_**WE DON'T HEAR YOU! WE'LL TEAR UP WHAT WE WANT!" **_Vivaldi screamed and darted off to her room.

The queen stormed off with the boy following behind. He couldn't help but feel a little bothered at the relationship going on between the King and Queen of Hearts.

* * *

"_**IF THAT MAN IS GOING TO OUR HUSBAND, WE WILL MAKE SURE HE GETS BEHEADED FIRST!" **_ Vivaldi bellowed.

A stuffed bear was catapulted by her arm, slamming it into the wall. The two had met up in the queen's room, her sanctuary filled with plushies. Masahiko was sitting down next to her; resting his head on, a droopy eared dog.

"Um…Mo…I mean Aneue-sama can you please spare the king? I like living and I don't think I start living if I don't have a father," the boy requested.

She glanced over at him. He had lifted his head to face her better. His violet eyes were wider, silently pleading like a puppy wanted to held.

"Well, we'll keep him alive. He does have some value," the queen huffed.

"Thank you," the little prince sighed, he laid his head down on the toy's noggin.

Vivaldi lifted the boy and set him down on his lap. She held him close, like as if one of her toys.

A slight chuckle came out of the rose red lips. "We bet that it's always like this for you, isn't it?"

"What is?" Masahiko asked.

"This fighting: We must fight with the king all the time and you must always make sure your father doesn't lose his head, literally," The woman responded.

"No," the child mumbled.

The queen down at the kid and met his violet orbs once more.

"I mean, I've heard you two fight before," he explained, "Mostly because you disagree on a law or one of you says something that make the other one upset."

The queen became intrigued, "So exactly, how is our relationship with the king?" she asked.

"Well, I always thought that you loved Father," the boy responded. "I see you two holding hands or Father sometimes to kisses your hand when you're in the courtroom. You two seem to be more affectionate whenever you out of the room. I also thought that Father loves you too, I mean, since he always smiles at you and always holds you close. There are also times I've even seen you kiss on occasion …" He looked up at the queen. "What's wrong Aneue-sama?"

The monarch's cheeks seemed to match her dress; her eyes seemed to be focused on something on the ceiling only she could see. The thoughts of the male monarch and her actually having a real relationship, the thought of him holding her close and leaning his head close to hers…their lips getting nearer…

"Hello! Aneue-sama!" the boy called.

That brought Vivaldi out of her fantasy, just before their lips touched. She saw a hand waving back and forth in front of her eyes.

"Aneue-sama, are you sick? Your face is all red," the child stated.

The queen turned her head quickly. "Humph, the king we know would never do anything like that," she huffed. "Even if he had the guts, we would never allow him."

"Is that so…. Does that mean you don't like him?" the lad asked.

"What?" Vivaldi retorted

"You said that you didn't like him. Is that true?" the prince questioned. "Do you hate him now?"

It occurred to her what he was worried about. Her relationship with the king, why wouldn't he? They were his parents after all.

"Well hate is rather a strong word…" the queen answered. She decided that would suffice. He set him back on his cushion and began to sip her brown drink.

"Oh so you like him?" Masahiko canvassed an innocent smile on his face.

A gush of tea shot out of the monarch's mouth like a geyser. She quickly turned to the boy with flushed cheeks.

"_**WHAT! WE NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT LOVING HIM!" **_the female denied.

"I didn't say about loving him. _Are _you in love with him?" The boy inquired.

"More talk like and we'll behead you personally," Vivaldi stated.

"Okay, okay. But as Aneue-sama would say, me thinks the lady protest too much," the prince countered.

"_**SHUT UP!"**_ Vivaldi yelled, throwing another toy at the child. He quickly dodged it, while chuckling a little. Then the queen's plum eyes lit up with awareness. "Wait, we don't remember saying anything like that."

"Oh! I was talking about my aunt, you know Akahana's mother," the boy continued. "It's a quote from a really old play from her world. It means when a girl keeps denying something, especially by yelling, it means she is just being dishonest."

"So you know our brother's wife? What is she like?" the queen asked out of curiosity.

Masahiko rested his chin on his fist, admitting what he could recall. "Well…my memories of her are rather blurry. I know she is very pretty and she really likes flowers, especially roses. I can remember her often working in Aniue-sama's garden. She's very nice and I know that she really loves Akahana and her father, but anything else I can't remember…" His violet eyes turned towards the lady.

"Are you sure you don't love him, just a little?" he questioned.

"_**ABSOLUTELY!" **_ She assured.

"You say you don't love him, but you act like you do… Father was right, women are complicated," he uttered.

"What was that?" Vivaldi growled.

"Nothing…." Masahiko sheepishly muttered.

He looked away from the female ruler then back at her.

"Can I ask another question?" the boy inquired.

"What is it?" The queen took it back; Masahiko vexed him just like every other male.

"If you love the king, why don't you tell him how you feel about him?" he questioned.

Her words were heated by her rising anger, "For the final time, we don't have any felling for the king and even if we did…" she stopped herself. She glanced down, grabbed a bear form her left side, and held it close. Her voice dropped and practically whispered, "He would never accept them."

Masahiko was stunned silent. He never heard the queen speak that way before. He was used to her warm tones of affection or her hot modulation of rage. Her voice sounded so lonely and sad, it sent chills down his spine.

"What makes you think that?" the boy asked cross-legged on his cushion.

Vivaldi's face was once again the color of her dress and she held her toy tighter. She looked away from the kid and closed her eyes, "He has never noticed any interest in us. Besides, he's just a spineless wimp, we are too different."

The boy considered her words, pondering them. He responded, "Well, I know a lot of couple, with people who are different from each other, but are truly in love."

"Name one," the royal woman commanded.

"Actually I can name two," the boy stated. He stood up, one hand behind his back and one pinched his chin, a determined look in his violet eyes. "Lord Chivalron's wife is a quiet bookworm like woman, and they love each other. Mr. Monrey has a wife who is very cheerful and makes many jokes; they always seem to be in love. Those are the top two opposites couples I can think of. And about Father…"

He stopped right there, slightly glancing over his shoulder. He noted how he had the royal hanging on his every word right now, causing a smirk on his face.

"What about the king?" The queen asked, she was getting impatient with the boy's stalling.

"I thought that you didn't like the king," the prince asked, his tone was rather taunting.

"_**MORE TALK LIKE THAT AND WE WILL HAVE YOU BEHEADED!" **_ Vivaldi hollered.

"Teasing you isn't as fun as it is the girls," the boy sighed. "Well, about the king, maybe he is shy."

"Shy?" the female asked.

"Yeah, like maybe he wants to tell you he loves you too, but he's afraid you'll turn him down, so he doesn't tell you," the child explained.

"Well, we wouldn't accept them anyway, even had the guts," the adult stated.

"Why? If you love him, wouldn't you want to accept his feelings for you, especially if he loves you?" Masahiko asked.

"He broke a promise to us and we will never forgive him for that," she solemnly spoke.

* * *

"_He broke a promise to us and we will never forgive him for that."_

Masahiko pondered these words, as he strolled down a long red hallway of the castle.

"_Father broke a promise to Mother… I can't wrap my head around it. It must have been something important. I've never seen Mother that depressed before…"_

He sighed, mind completely confused. The boy continued to mull over everything, when he collided with someone.

"Whoops. I'm sorry. I didn't see you," the prince apologized.

"Don't worry about it," a voice responded.

The boy looked up to see the man from earlier looking down at him.

"Oh, hello there, lad," the adult male said.

The child mumbled, "Hello."

He couldn't look the King of Hearts in the eye. Before, the prince thought of his father as quiet kind person, and yet this man also hurt his mother. He didn't know what to think of the man anymore.

"What's wrong? You seem to be upset about something," the adult asked.

"It's nothing, your majesty," the boy sighed.

"Don't be so formal, young man. Call me Randolph, okay?" the man suggested.

"Yes sir," the prince said coldly. He turned his head, an icy look in his eyes.

The male ruler chuckled, "You definitely seem to have something on your mind. Why don't you tell me about it?"

"Well," Masahiko started. "Okay. Can we walk a little?"

"Sure," the man agreed.

They strolled down the corridor in silence. It seemed as though they were not really going to get anyway but that changed when the prince took a big breath and started, "I have a question for you."

"Oh?" the king replied, "What would you want to ask?"

"Were you serious? About what you told Aneue-sama?" the boy questioned.

"Aneue-sama?" the man repeated. His brow furrowed and pondered for a minute before he responded, "Oh you mean Vivaldi."

"Yeah," the lad agreed. "Were you serious about you what you said to her?"

"What did I say?" the man pondered.

The boy sighed. He could see why his mother would get angry with him. "You said you wanted to marry Aneue-sama. Did you really mean it?"

"Oh that," Randolph stated. "Well…"

"Well what?" Masahiko asked.

"It's a rather long story," the man answered.

"It's okay, I like stories, especially long ones," the boy said. "But I want to know whether or not you love Vivaldi, do you love her?"

The king chuckled, shaking his head. There was no use. This kid probably wouldn't stop until he got a clear answer.

He took a long breath and sighed, "Yes. Yes I do love her."

"Have you told her?" the prince questioned.

"No," the man simply replied.

"Why don't you tell her?" the kid inquired.

"You are quite the curious young man, aren't you?" the older male asked with a smile.

"Oh, sorry," the boy grumbled. He turned his head away from him. "I was just wondering."

The man just smiled, "Don't worry. It was a logical question."

"Okay," Masahiko stated. "So why don't you tell her?"

Randolph stated, "That's where the story comes in."

The male sovereign spotted a plush love seat; the heart shaped back and cushions fitting the rest of the palace. He sat down on the carmine couch and patted down on his knee.

"Why don't you sit down and I'll tell you everything you need to know," the king suggested.

The boy's face brightened. It was a common thing for the prince, practically every night he would climb up on one of his parent's knee while the other one would sit close by, and he would listen while one of them would tell a story. In the end, when his eyelids were drooping, he would find himself under his sheets, a kiss form each parent on each cheek and he would drift off. Masahiko knew that it would not be the same as he was used to, but close enough was good enough for him. Besides, he was going to find out what was going on between these two royals. Two birds, one stone. He scurried over to the man and climbed up the seat and onto the king's knee.

"Well, you seem excited," the man commented. He started to stroke on the boy's purple locks, and looked up with the other hand on his chin. "Now where to begin…how about we start at the beginning, when we first met?"

"Okay, so how did you to meet Aneue-sama?" Masahiko questioned.

"Well…did you that both of us were not born royalty?" asked Randolph.

The boy shook his head from side to side, his eyes widen.

"Yes both of us were just common faceless people until the day both the King and Queen of Hearts disappeared," the man started.

"Disappeared?" the child repeated.

"Yes," the male sovereign continued. "No one knows what happened to them, whether or not they died or they found a way out of their roles. Either way, they needed to be replaced, so they chose Vivaldi and me. I was just a common farmer's son when I was chosen to be the king. After I came to the castle, I was nervous. I didn't have any idea how to run a country, but more anxious on the matter of the queen. Who would they choose? This was the woman I was going to spend the rest life with."

"Sounds sort of like an arranged marriage," the prince stated.

Now the King of Hearts felt the blood rush to his cheeks, the liquid staining his cheeks. He flushed, "Well, there is nothing in any law or rule that states that the Queen and King of Hearts have to married. But since a role lasts a life time, you can see why I was nervous."

"Understandable," the boy stated.

"I remember the day when I first met her," Randolph began. "I just stared out the window, when the carriage holding the queen arrived. When the door opened, I turned away. I guess I was too nervous to face her just yet. A few hours later, I saw some maids banging on a door. They said that the new queen would not come out and locked herself in. I decided that it was about time to finally meet the queen. So the maids got a key and I opened the door. The thing that surprised me the most was that woman chosen as Queen of Hearts was just a child. I remembered looking at her and she just looked at me back. She was clinging onto a stuffed bear for practically dear life and I saw tears in your violet eyes. I realized then, that as hard as things were for me, it was harder for her. She was taken away from her family and was alone. I was an adult but she was a child. I felt compassionate towards her, so I decided to befriend her. I crouched down and tried to talk to her. You would not believe it now, but Vivaldi was such a quiet timid girl. She wouldn't say a word to me. After talking to her for a while, I realized it was just going to take some time. So I told her, no matter what, I promised would never leave her and always stay with her."

"_That was probably the promise Mother was talking about…" _the prince thought, but he kept quiet and continued to listen to the royal's tale.

The man continued, "As the days went by, she seemed to get closer to me. I finally got her to smile one day, after about a week after she came to the castle. I didn't think such a small girl's smile could make me so happy..." He took a long breath, "Originally, I thought that our relationship would be more like a big brother and a little sister, but ever since I saw that smile, there were times after that I thought that maybe might be more to our relationship."

He glanced down at the boy and mumbled, "I apologize. I'm probably boring you with this old story."

Masahiko shook his head, "Don't worry. This is getting interesting, tell me the rest."

Randolph smiled and started once more. "Well, three years passed. Vivaldi had grown from a quiet timid girl to a young woman full of confidence and beauty. To see her grow was like watching a rosebud bloom, a breathtaking sight... She was a beautiful maiden; I couldn't help but fall in love with her. At the balls she arranged, she was the life. It seemed that everyone had his or her eyes on her. I couldn't take my eyes off her either."

"If you loved her so much, how come you never told her?" the boy interrupted.

The king jerked his head towards the child. The kid looked away from the adult and mumbled, "Sorry, I was being rude, wasn't I?"

"No don't worry. I rather like your curiosity," the male sovereign commented. "The truth is I was going to tell her how I felt about her. But…"he trailed off and looked away.

The boy stared at his father. He could tell that there was something he couldn't say. Something sad.

"Sir?" Masahiko asked.

"Don't worry. I'm fine,"The male Roleholder stated. "Besides, what the point of a story if you don't hear the ending? Now where was I?"

"You said you were going to tell Aneue-sama how you felt," the boy paraphrased.

"Well, that's when things got complicated," Randolph started. "An old friend of mine became a maid at the castle. She told me that my family was on hard times. I became depressed, since I couldn't be there for them. I couldn't tell Vivaldi because I thought it would make her think of her own family and she would try leave being queen. Therefore, I decided to keep it a secret. As the days went by, I started to spend more time with my old friend and less time with Vivaldi, I guess because she could comfort me about my family. However, she began to misread my feeling for her. I felt nothing more than a close friend did but she thought I loved her. There were times, where she would tell me, to run away from being king so we could be together. I kept telling her that could not do that, but she didn't listen to me. I guess Vivaldi must have over heard and thought that I was going leave her but she never heard my side. She must have gotten mad so she decided to behead my old friend. I stopped Vivaldi just in time before my friend was killed. I begged Vivaldi not to kill her, and she agreed, only if she would be let go. Both my friend and I agreed. After that, my friend thought that I defended her because I loved her, but that wasn't the truth did because she was once my friend. But there were times when would talk bad about Vivaldi and she was trying to take me away from her so I told her to never come back to the castle." The king lowered, "I haven't seen her since."

"So what happened after that?" the lad asked. "Did you ever talk to Vivaldi about what happened?"

"No," the adult answered, "I didn't. She had gotten colder and crueler after everything. I guess she hated me so I never got the chance."

He took a long sigh, "If I was just a little braver, I could have told Vivaldi how I felt before that whole mess started. I guess I'm not much of a king am I? I'm just quiet old man who just wears a crown and stands by the queen's side."

Masahiko just stared at the man. His mind was trying to sort out the entire story the man had told him.

He thought,_ "I guess that's why Father would always tell me to never make a girl cry. I had always wondered why he would tell me this rule. I guess he didn't want me to hurt my friends like he hurt Mother…"_

After a few moments, the prince opened his mouth, "I don't think that true at all, sir."

The king stared at the Masahiko as he continued, "I'm not sure about what a king is really supposed to act, but you always stop Aneue-sama when she tries to execute someone. Besides even after all those years of her being mean to you, you still stand by Aneue-sama's side. You could have left but you stayed. I think that you are kind, devoted person and that makes you noble in your own way."

Randolph smiled, "I never thought anyone would think of me as noble." He patted the boy's head. "Thank you."

As his father's hand touched his noggin, a light bulb went off above the boy's amethyst hair. "Hey, why not give Aneue-sama a gift?" he suggested.

"What?" the man asked.

"I mean, maybe she been cold to you because she thinks that you don't like her anymore," the prince explained. "So maybe you should show her that you still care about her with a present. Whenever my parents get into a fight, my father would give my mother a small gift to show that he still loves her."

"Well, that's a good idea young man," the king chuckled. He rather liked the lad. He was sort of like a kind caring little brother to him and besides the idea definitely seemed like a good one. "So what do you think I should get her?"

"You should be the one to decide that," the boy stated, "after all you're the one who's in love with her."

"I guess you're right," the man agreed.

Masahiko bid farewell to the king, leaving the sovereign to think. It didn't take long to come up with what he thought would please the queen.

* * *

Vivaldi had felt something poke at her cheek, and in her unconscious state, she swatted it away. She turned over and snuggled closer to the pink sheets and her bear.

"Aneue-sama, wake up," a voice spoke. "Somebody left you a present."

The female blinked her vision a little blurry. The first thing she noticed was the boy's face rather unusual because she was used to the sight of a faceless noirette in room.

"What is that you want with us?" the queen asked, tensely because of her semi-woken state.

"Someone left a gift for you!" the boy said excitedly. He placed a pink box; each side had a red ribbon that ended on the top in a large bow. "Open it."

The adult's curiosity perked up at the sight of the box and yet there was a sense of annoyance with it too. She tugged at bow, it slowly coming undone. Her manicured hands opened the flaps but paused at what she saw.

There was a pure white bear; two small violet stones were its eyes. It wore a deep red gown with matching roses on the hem. Two small cherry red roses were placed on its ears.

The queen stared at the adorable toy, stroking its cheek, when the boy broke her out of her thoughts.

"Aneue-sama look there's a note!" the boy exclaimed.

Vivaldi looked down into the box and noticed an envelope with its flap open. She picked it up and tugged at the paper inside. The woman scanned over the letter, her eyes widening.

_To Vivaldi _

_I have always been there for you_

_And always will be_

_Randolph_

"What's wrong, Aneue-sama?" the child asked. "Your face is all red."

The adult turned her head away from the kid and told him, "Nothing is wrong. We are still just tired that's all."

"Oh," the boy replied. "What did the note say?"

"Nothing important," the female sovereign stated.

"Who's it from?" he asked.

"No one," she answered.

"It has to be from somebody," the boy affirmed. "Is it from the king?"

"_**BE QUIET!" **_Vivaldi commanded and tugged at her sheets, covering her head. The kid took note that the toy was squashed up against her chest before it disappeared from you.

Masahiko thought, _"Mother, Father, I know that you two love each other very much. I hope that you two can realize it. Good luck you two, because you need it."_

* * *

**I was right. **

**This is the longest chapter.**

**I'm half asleep now.**

**Daisuki~ and Good night.**

**Zzz….. **


	28. Chapter 28 Stories of First Love!

I did it! I actually finished this chapter! Daisuki Papa is almost two years old yet I took almost a year to write this one chapter…I really need to work on that.

Diamond no Kuni no Alice! My thoughts- Hooray new characters, Boo new characters I'll might have to create someday. However, that day will not come for a long time.

I hope that this extremely long (the longest I will ever write I swear) makes up for lost time.

* * *

Daisuki Papa Chapter 28

Stories of First Love! Who does the Prince like the most?

All of the faced females of Wonderland seemed to gather at the Heart Castle's rose garden maze. Several cute little girls, happily chatting and enjoying their snacks and tea, while the lovely maiden and gorgeous queen were doing the same, enjoying the company of the girls.

Except when a certain question broke the cheerful mood.

"Why do you love Masahiko?" the maiden asked.

_***SCREECH!***_

All of the girls stopped what they were doing, and turned to the foreigner at the end of the table.

"What? Why do you want to know?" the white rabbit girl, asked panicky.

"Aneue, it's not polite to look into people's person lives," the noirette with a cap on her head scolded, in a rather teasing tone.

"Alice-nee is nosy," the Tweedle girl in red whispered, trying her best but her words were too loud and everyone heard them.

"That's true," her cousin agreed, in the same volume.

"I can hear you two, you know that," Alice stated, "And I don't think I'm being noisy, I was just wondering how come you all like him. Even through all the romances my friends and I have gone through, we have never fallen in love with the same guy. We might have agreed on that a guy was good looking, but none of us have ever had crushes on the same guy. What makes him so wonderful that all of you girls are head over heels for him?"

"We are also curious," the royal also admitted.

"Well, he's kind…" the rabbit girl started.

"And passionate…" Akahana continued.

"He's brave…" the bluenette female added.

"and gentle…" the mouse lass commented

"He's generous…" Tama promoted.

"And he's loyal," the child with chestnut hair added.

"He's cheerful," the red head continued.

"He's really smart," Fumiko illustrated.

"And considerate," Takara remarked.

"He also comforting," the gray haired girl expressed.

"He's sweet," the little hare added.

"He's caring," the female kitten added.

"He's just wonderful isn't he?" Natsuki asked aloud.

"Yeah," all of her friends sighed.

Once again, the girl's were lost in young maiden's fantasies.

"Hey Vivaldi, I have another suggest name for your son," the maiden commented.

"What would that be?" the queen asked.

"Charming, his should be Prince Charming," the foreigner suggested.

"We'll take it into consideration," the royal noted.

Alice sighed, "I get that you guys like him, and I guess you've pointed out some good points. So how exactly each one of you fell in love with your prince?"

"Do you really want to know?" Natsuki asked.

"You can't blame the two of us for being curious, its obvious there's more to your loves than just personality alone," Alice stated.

"You seem to speak from explain from experience," the queen stated.

"Well… that's true…" the foreigner mumbled.

"What? Onee-chan had a crush someone?" the little rabbit asked.

The doppelgangers leaped up and landed on the orange haired girl, and squealed, "Who? Who?"

"_**Get off me…"**_ Amai growled.

"It happened to me a long ago, there's no need to hear about that," the maiden mumbled.

"Well, now that has Akahana interested," the noirette with the cap stated. She titled her head and smiled. "Please Aneue, tell us?"

"Yeah!" Tama cheered, "Tell us, Onee-sama!"

Alice grumbled, "I thought I asked you girls first." She let out a sigh, "How about this, I'll tell you my story after I hear all of your stories."

All the little girls pondered this for a few moments. They glanced at each other.

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea to Utako," the red head commented.

"I don't mind," Tora stated.

"Aoi doesn't know…it seems a little embarrassing…"the bluenette mumbled, her cheeks bright pink.

"Don't worry Aoi, we promise that we won't make fun off you or laugh at you," Alice told her.

"Really?" the cobalt haired girl asked.

"Promise?" Aoi asked.

"Yes," the maiden assured. "Isn't that right, everyone?"

"Yeah, don't worry Aoi-chan," Midori agreed.

"I have a question," Mamoru stated. She was standing up in her chair, using one arm as support while the other shook.

"What is it?" the foreigner asked.

"What happens if there is funny part or you make a joke? Then can we laugh?" the brunette questioned.

"Laughing at the story, trying to mean or making fun of it is not okay," Alice announced. "Laughing at a funny part is okay, okay?"

"Okay!" all the girls agreed.

"So who is going to go first?" the outsider inquired.

"Well, I don't mind going first," the albino girl agreed.

"Alright, let's get this party started," Alice stated.

Natsuki began, "Well it started one day, when I was five…I really wanted to get a sprig of cherry blossoms for my mama...

* * *

_The albino girl picked up some more of the flowers and scooped it into her hand._

_These will look pretty in a bowl," she thought to herself, "but not as pretty as a branch in a vase."_

_She sighed and continued to gather the blooms._

"_What are you doing, Natsuki?" a voice asked her._

_The girl turned her head to see the prince. He was missing his crown and ascot, and he had on a pale white shirt, making him look slightly more casual. _

"_Hello there, Masahiko," the girl greeted. "I'm getting cherry blossoms for my mama. She said she wanted some."_

"_I see…" the prince stated. "Well, wouldn't it be easier to just get a branch?"_

"_I tried to get one, but I couldn't reach it," the rabbit admitted._

"_Did you try climbing the tree?"_

"_I kept slipping off."_

"_How about jumping?"_

"_I couldn't reach a branch."_

"_Looks like you've got a problem," the young male commented._

"_Why do you think I'm picking blossoms off the ground," the albino girl sighed._

"_Well, I think there is a tree that you can get a branch," the boy implied._

_In the blink of an eye, Natsuki stood right in front of the lad. _

"_Really? Where? Where? Let's go!" she cheered. Grabbing his arm, the white haired lass started to tug him somewhere into the forest. _

"_Um Natsuki," the violet haired child started._

"_What?" the girl stopped and looked behind her._

"_One: you are hurting my arm and two: the tree is the other way," the prince listed._

_Her long ears suddenly drooped. "Oh sorry," the bunny girl apologized._

"_It's okay, just follow me," Masahiko chuckled._

_The two seemed to walk for hours on end._

"_Are you sure the tree is around here?" Natsuki sighed._

"_It should be…let me see…" the boy mumbled, dashing around the forest. _

_Waiting for a few minutes, the girl then heard a cry of __**"I FOUND IT!"**_

_Dashing towards the scream, Natsuki found the prince. _

"_Where? Where?" She twisted her head around. _

"_Right here," Masahiko stretched his hand._

_The ruby eyes followed the fingers and then blinked when reaching the finish line._

_There, right in between two fully grown blooming trees, a smaller tree, the highest branch only a few inches above the top of the white ears, dozens of small light pink flowers grew and jumped off to float in the breeze. _

"_Here's the smallest tree in the forest, now you can have the branches you want," the boy smiled. He puffed out his chest and decreed in a low voice, "By order of Prince Masahiko Windsor, this will now and forever be Usa-chan__*****__'s tree!"_

"_**DON'T CALL ME USA-CHAN!" **__the girl whined._

"_Why not? All of your friends call you that," the prince chuckled._

"_Only the most annoying ones and I don't want anyone to call me that," the bunny huffed._

"_It fits you, you're a rabbit, you're small and you're cute so it's perfect for you."_

"_Well, I don't like it."_

"_I think it suits you perfectly, just like the tree," Masahiko commented._

"_I don't get it, what do you mean?" Natsuki asked._

"_I said that tree was the smallest tree, but it doesn't mean it's not the best tree. Even though it is small, it has the most blossoms of any tree I have seen! Just like you may be small but you got the biggest smile. It really stands out from everyone else, so keep on smiling. It works for you."_

_The boy started to stroll over to the tree. Right when his hands clamped on a very small, very bare piece of the wood, the girl screamed, __**"STOP!"**_

"_What's wrong?" the prince asked. "I thought you wanted a branch."_

"_Yes but…. " _

"_But what?"_

"_It's just that this little tree is growing peacefully here, trying to be just as big as the other trees so we should just leave it be so it can keep on growing," Natsuki explained. _

_The prince replied, "I guess you are right…though I think your mom will be disappointed."_

_The little girl dashed over to the tree, quickly snapped two sections from different branches, and then returned to the spot next to the prince._

"_Well, I think as long as I don't over pick the tree, I am sure that it should be fine," Natsuki stated. "I got a branch for my mother and thank you gift for you." _

_She offered one of the flower covered sticks to the boy and he took it in his little fist._

"_Thank you, Natsuki. Let's head back it is going to take a while," the boy suggested._

"_Lead the way Masahiko," the albino girl complied._

"_Whatever you say Cherry-chan."_

"_Huh?" the girl asked. _

"_I thought it would be a good new nickname for you, since you liked cherry blossoms so much," he answered._

"_Well, I don't like it, makes me sound edible," the rabbit grumbled._

"_Then how about Sakura-chan, it seems less edible and more elegant," the prince suggested. _

"_Yeah but that sounds like the perfume that my mama wears," Natsuki countered._

"_Don't worry I'll come up with something!"_

"_You don't have to bother, Natsuki prefer just being Natsuki or Suki-chan."_

"_Alright then, let's go home, Natsuki," Masahiko smiled._

_The sound of her name in his voice, accompanied with the gentle tune of the wild waltzing through the trees, made her face turn the gentle shade of pink, matched by the blossoms around her._

"_Yeah!"_

* * *

"On a day where the cherry blossoms bloomed above, that was the first day I was in love." Natsuki finished.

"Well that was a lovely story," the monarch commented.

"Yep. Who wants to go next?" Natsuki asked.

"I'll go if no one else wants to," the red head in braids spoke up.

"Alright, you go next, Utako," Alice stated.

"Well let me see…" the little girl started her hand on her chin. "I think it all really started when I wanted to play the trumpet. I was five at the time when I saw one at concert. A soloist was playing such a cheerful wonderful tune; I wanted to be able to play something like that. So, I gave Otou-san some puppy dogs eyes and he bought me one and Okaa-san got me a tutor.

At first, it was hard, because it was hard to get the sound to come out right. I remember that my Onii-san said it sounded like a goose if you holding it by the throat and pushing it into a pool of soda," she took a breath and sighed "Why do girls have to brothers?"

After a slight giggle from the girls around her, Utako continued, "I've always get nervous whenever I play in front of people, i couldn't stand having my parents watch me. So, I would often sneak off somewhere to practice.

* * *

_The warm summer air seemed to echo with a tune. The girl was oblivious to the world. All there was her, the music, and the breeze caressing her face._

_***SNAP***_

_The sound of a broken twig snap brought her back to the world. She took her lips off the mouthpiece and looked in its direction. There was Masahiko innocently staring at her._

"_Masahiko? What are you doing here?" _

"_I'm sorry; I was over here to play with everyone else when I heard you playing."_

_Utako's cheek matched her hair at this point. She ducked out of his view and crouched behind a tree. _

"_**WHAT'S WRONG?"**__ The prince questioned._

"_**I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU HEARD ME! I'M SO EMBARRASSED!" **__she hollered. The lad soon heard her sobbing. _

"_Well, I thought you're playing was really nice," the boy stated. "I don't think you should be embarrassed."_

"_**WELL I AM! I DIDN'T WANT ANYONE TO HERE ME! GO AWAY!" **__Utako sobbed._

_The sound of footsteps then started, then the solo became a trio when grunting and sighing started. Intrigued, the red head peaked from the bark. Stones seemed to have suddenly grown in the piece of grass where she once stood. The violet haired male appeared into view, carrying another rock. After he set down the piece of rock, he wiped his brow and turned to the girl._

"_Okay Utako, your audience is ready!"_

"_What?"_

_Giving more spotlight to the small boulders, the prince stretched his arm. "You get really shy if you play in front of a crowd, right? Therefore, if you pretend that your audience is rocks, then you won't be so nervous. Think of these rocks, as your audience and then you should be fine."_

"_Are you sure this is going to work?" The little noble asked._

"_Well, it's either this or you will have to imagine people in their underwear and…I don't really want to just be standing in front of you in my underwear.." the boy muttered, looking away with blush on his cheeks._

"_Alright," the little musician giggled. She took in a deep breath and put her lips towards the mouthpiece. _

"_Wait one minute," the boy stated._

_The girl halted and glanced at the male._

_He lay down on the grass, his head next to the rocks._

"_What are you doing?" Utako asked._

"_I'm trying to blend in with my fellow rocks," Masahiko stated. "Don't mind me; just think of me as a rock."_

"_Okay…" the little musician agreed with a shrug. Normally some girls would have found it awkward conversation, but when you have your father creates roller coasters for a living, you get used to a rather strange mentality._

_She closed her eyes, the image of the rocks stuck inside her mind. Masahiko himself became a rock with purple moss on top of his head._

_Her fingers gently pressed against the valves, a warm gentle tune came out. A sigh came out of the boy's lips. For a moment, all the girl could think about was the music, the notes she memorized seemed to waltz out of the horn._

_When the bugle sang the last note, the girl's lips left the mouthpiece and turned into a smile._

"_I did it! I actually did it! Thank you so much Masahiko!" Utako cheered and began to jump and down._

_When silence met her ears, the girl strolled over to the boy, his eyes closed._

"_Masahiko?"_

_Even as she closed in on him, the lad ignored the lass, even as she started to tip him over. When he was belly up, he continued to keep his eyes shut. The ginger haired child then noticed his slow breathing._

_In her mind, Utako screeched. __**"HE'S ASLEEP! HE FELL ASLEEP!"**_

_Rage filled her veins and once more, she brought her lips to her horn. This time however, she pressed the valves wildly; random notes ran about, practically piercing the ears of the prince._

"_**OW!" **__Masahiko screamed. Rubbing his ears, he glared at the girl glaring back at him._

"_What was that for?" he moaned._

"_**YOU FEEL ASLEEP! YOU FEEL ALSEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF MY PERFORMANCE!"**_

"_Well, I couldn't help it," the prince mumbled. "You played that song so beautifully I couldn't help but be lulled by it. You have an amazing talent; I don't know why you hide it."_

_The braided haired female blushed and turned her head, "Utako…Utako doesn't want anyone else to laugh at her."_

"_Don't worry, no one will laugh at you and if they do just tell my mother and she'll chop off their heads."_

_The two giggled to themselves. _

"_Can you please play for me again?" the prince pleaded._

"_You really want me to continue?" the girl asked. _

"_Yeah, I need to finish my nap," the boy yawned._

_Growling, the lass lifted up her horn, aiming the weapon right at the lad's head._

"_Just kidding…" he chuckled nervously. "Would you please play your trumpet again? Maybe this time, play a more upbeat tune."_

"_Okay!"_

_This time a cheerful, jazzier tune swayed in the breeze, this time Utako opened her eyes and notice Masahiko smiling at her and she stopped, aquamarine orbs meeting amethyst ones. _

"_Remember I'm just a rock." The prince stated._

"_Yeah..." the little noble agreed, rather absentmindly._

_This time when Utako closed her eyes, in her mind she didn't see the music. Dancing and twirling around in time with the music, she saw Masahiko and herself._

* * *

"Ever since that day, whenever I get stage fright, I just close my eyes and imagine that day and I don't feel scared. I feel braver when he's close…I guess that's why I love him…" the redhead concluded, blush on her cheeks matching the hair on her head.

Alice asked, "Anyone want to go?"

"We'll go next!" The red Tweedle stated; her little hand entwined with her cousin's palm.

"What?! I don't want to do it now!" Fumiko whined, taking her hand back.

"Come on, don't be such a chicken," Takara stated.

"_**WHY DON'T YOU JUST TELL THEM? AFTER ALL, OUR STORIES ARE THE SAME!"**_ the noirette girl in blue exclaimed.

"What? Really?" the foreigner asked.

"Yeah, we both fell in love with him on the same day, for the same reason," the raven haired in red stated.

"So how did it happen?" the maiden inquired.

"It was our sixth birthday party," the one in cherry stated.

"You two share the same birthday?" Alice pondered.

"Well, no, you see," Takara explained, "I was born five minutes before midnight and Fumi-chan was born five minutes after midnight. We were born ten minutes apart but because are so close, our families decided it would be easier to celebrate both on Fumi-chan's birthday, and like I said on our sixth birthday party is when we fell in love with him."

* * *

_The two girls stared with wide eyes. There were two piles of boxes. One was red, with similar shaded bows. The other was blue with similar hues._

"_Wow! Look at all these presents!" Takara cheered. Her ruby eyes were practically taking up her face._

"_Are they all for us?" her relative in blue asked, her eyes just as wide as her cousin's orbs. _

"_Of course! Happy birthday you two," the Tweedle male in water colored clothes stated._

"_Now hurry up and open them!" His twin in flame shaded clothes encouraged._

_The two girls eagerly jumped at the chance and at once bits of colored paper filled the air. It seemed to float around like abnormal snow one side white and the other either carmine or navy._

_As the contents piled up, however, the rate of shredding seemed to slow down. After all the boxes tipped over, completely empty. Their treasures herded into two piles, separated by color._

_A red bicycle, a blue bicycle, a ruby dress with a pink ribbon in the back and a deep aquamarine dress with a light teal ribbon in the back, this was the usual pattern of the gifts. There were some different like a tambourine and a pair of maracas, or a water gun and slingshot, but they were few and in between._

"_How come me and Fumi-chan got the same things?" Takara asked._

"_It happened to us back when we are little. Don't worry we'll get you two something special, something for each of you," Her father, Dum, stated._

"_Really?" Fumiko questioned._

"_Yes, just wait right here," Dee answered, his bright blue eyes shining, "We'll be right back."_

_The two girls watched as their fathers left the room, leaving them with their presents._

"_How come people gave us the same gifts?" the blue eyed girl wondered._

"_Maybe because we look alike, they think that we think alike and act alike," her red clad cousin answered._

"_Sort of like twins? Like our pop-chans?" Fumiko asked._

"_I guess so," her cousin asked. She looked over at her pile of red gifts. She started to shift around in there until she pulled out a round pink ball. "Hey, want to play catch?"_

"_Hmm…no thanks," the blue dressed girl declined. She scanned her own stack of presents, her marine eyes glancing at all the allied shade. She reached in and then pulled out a box. She took of its lid and pulled out a stuffed patchwork dog, the predominant color being azure. She began to snuggle with it and slide it around._

_***KNOCK! KNOCK!***_

_The two glanced the door._

"_Who do you think that is?" the red one asked._

"_Probably someone who is going to give us the same thing only in different colors…" her cousin in blue replied. Her marine eyes glanced over at all the presents, stopping at an open box._

"_Hey Taka-chan, I've got an idea…"_

_Masahiko sighed, "That's the last time I listen to Mamoru. 'Just go straight! You'll be fine!'"_

_The young prince opened the door, seeing two mountains of boxes, but not the two birthday girls. He continued to wander in._

"_Fumiko? Takara?" _

_He stopped in front of two boxes, following the color scheme of all the others, ribbons still on top and paper still intact. "I wonder where the girls are. Didn't they want to finish opening their presents…"_

_The two boxes suddenly burst opened, causing the boy to trip back. When he looked up at the boxes, two figures stared at him, their faces covered in large, beautiful, butterfly-like masks, the one in the red box wore a silver mask, and the one in the blue box wore a gold mask. Each mask hid the wearer's eye color._

"_Hey there you two are!"_

"_Who are you talking to?" the child with the tawny mask asked._

"_Umm…the both of you?"_

"_There is no both of you here, only Fumiko and Takara." The child wearing pale sliver stated._

_The lad chuckled, "Okay, okay that's enough with the mind games. I've got two presents and each one of them for a special girl. I don't want them to get mixed up."_

"_I doubt that's true, you probably got us the same thing just in different colors." The silver masked one muttered._

"_Shhh!" her look-a-like shushed._

_The prince blinked and then started to smirk, "All right I understand. Can I ask you guys something?"_

"_Sure." The masked duo stated._

_The boy displayed the boxes hidden behind his back. In his right, one with pink circles with a giant red bow on top and in the left there was on with light blue squares wearing a deep sapphire bow on top._

"_Who do you think gets the pink box?"_

"_Taka-chan."_

"_Then who gets the blue box?"_

"_Fumi-chan."_

"_**EHH! WRONG!"**_

_Both of the girls blinked behind their covers, "How was that wrong?"_

"_Just see, here you take this one and you have the other one." The lad gave the blue box to golden mask and the red box to the silver mask, mismatching the boxes they stood in._

_The two girls simply stared at the presents right in front of them._

"_Come on, it's your birthday right, go ahead."_

_Pulling off the ribbons and ripping the paper, the cousins flipped the cardboard flaps to reveal…_

_For the girl in the gold mask, a crimson ball with cherry blossom pink stripes. For the girl in the silver mask, a doll with light blue frilly dress._

_Both of the little mouths opened. _

"_How did you know?" the one in the silver mask._

"_You may be similar in a lot of ways, but there are points about you that are different. I mean Takara likes sports and Fumiko like dolls, Fumiko tends to be more mischievous and Takara tends to scold more. You two may look a lot alike and act a lot alike, but you two still are different, you know?"_

"_But there's lots of people who give us the same thing only in different colors," the female hiding behind yellow stated._

"_Then they just don't know the two of you like I do," the prince commented._

_The two masks peered at each other and bobbed their heads simultaneously. Each took off their mask off. The gold mask revealed a pair of rubies and the silver mask showed a pair of aquamarine stones._

"_WOW! Masa-nii you're really smart!" Fumiko stated._

"_Yeah!" Takara agreed._

"_Wish you tell my big sister that. She says that if it wasn't for her, I would've gone my whole life without knowing I was a doofus," the lad sighed._

_As the three burst into laughter, the girls gave each other a glanced and winked at one another._

"_Hey Masa-nii…"_

"_Hmm?" the sound of the doubles' voices caused the boy to stop and look at them._

"_**THANK YOU!"**_

_The two launched themselves out of the boxes and crashed into the boy, each of them latched on to one of his arms._

"_This is the best birthday ever!" Takara cheered, snuggling against the arm in her arms._

"_Yep, it was the best!" Fumiko confirmed._

"_Why?" Masahiko asked._

"_**Because…you are here…" **__they both whispered._

_They both climbed up to his face and pressed their lips on the cheek closest to them. Starting on both sides and growing stronger in the middle, the threesome blushed. Masahiko's cheeks the deepest of all._

* * *

"_**WHAT WERE YOU DOING KISSING MASAHIKO!?" **_Natsuki roared.

"It was just a thank you kiss," the marine lass slyly stated.

"To thank him for attending and giving us such a wonderful gift," her crimson cousin backed up.

"If **that's** true…how come I didn't see kiss _**anyone else**_ for their attendance and gifts?" Akahana growled.

The azure girl started, "Masa-nii gave us something really special. A feeling of individuality, knowing that he thinks that we are unique in our own way."

"What my cousin is trying to say in English is that Masa-nii made us feel special and that's why we love him," Takara interrupted.

The blue-eyed Tweedle glared at the other, a smug little grin on the other member of her family. The Tweedle with red orbs let her tongue out, her relative growled slightly.

"You know, Masahiko was right when he said you two are different," Akahana commented.

"Really?" Takara inquired.

"Yep, Fumiko the more sweet, calm, girly girl and Takara is the more vicious, mean, tomboy," the capped noirette stated.

"Who are calling mean and viscous?" the red lass asked.

"You," Akahana stated.

There was an air of tension at the table. So tense you cut it with one of the knives.

"How about we keep going with the stories, shall we?" Alice stated. She didn't want another war to start in Wonderland.

"Okay, I'll go, next," Yumeko confirmed.

"Okay, hurry before the battle starts," Alice requested.

"Well you see I had the flu one time, I had to stay at home all day," the little half incubus started.

* * *

_Yumeko let out a nasty cough. She was completely bored. She was stuck in bed with nothing to do._

"_Being sick is the worst…" she mumbled._

_She couldn't go outside. She couldn't play with her friends, she couldn't even paint because she couldn't get paint on the sheets. Even if she could paint, there was just no inspiration. She drew with crayons and colored pencils, just about everything she could think of. _

_The ashen haired girl turned over in her bed, her face inside her pillow. All she could do is feel her muscles ache, her nose running, her forehead hot, the rest of her body cold, and her stomach churn. _

_***KNOCK!* *KNOCK!***_

_She lifted her head long enough to say "Yes?" but then her neck muscles gave up and she ended up cheek slammed on the pillow._

_***CREAK!***_

_The lass's smoky eyes looked up to see a little boy standing there; carrying what seemed to be a bag. _

"_Hello there Masahiko, what are you doing here?" Yumeko questioned._

"_Well, I came over to get some sweets from your mother and Aoi and Tama's for my mother's party," Masahiko explained, "I heard that you were sick. How do you feel?" The prince asked._

"_Like dying," Yumeko mumbled._

_The young boy giggled, "Well at least your sense of humor is still fine." He offered the bag to the girl. "Here we made these during recess for you."_

_She pushed herself up and shifted herself so that pillow supported her back so she could sit up. The lass pulled the bag closer to her. She peeked in inside to see pile of paper birds, with long necks and small beaks. She picked one up to get a better look at it. _

"_Get well paper cranes!"__*****__ the little girl exclaimed. "Thank you!"_

"_Don't thank me…" the lad mumbled. His cheeks were slightly red. "It was actually Amai and Aoi's idea. I'm just the delivery boy." _

"_Thank you," the girl stated. _

_She decided to take a better look at her present so she reached her arm in the sack and let out a scoopful of the origami creations onto her lap. She automatically noticed a few of the birds were different from the others. _

"_Hey, Masahiko, how come some of these birds are different than the others?" the girl asked. "They look sort of funny."_

_The bird seemed to be as if someone had crushed them and used them for paper basketball but then tried to straighten it so it could be a gift. The neck was a bent up and zigzag. The wings looked like a small mountain range with the points and dips in them._

_The boy's face tuned red at the sight of the origami craft. "Well, you see…" he stuttered, "I'm not really good at things like this…I tried to fold it the right way, but I guess I folded the paper too much…I'm sorry that it turned out this way. Don't worry, it's the only one I made. After all the girls saw this one, they decided I just be the one who delivered them…"_

_The grey eyed girl giggled, "Don't worry; everybody has trouble with origami, especially with cranes." _

_She reached over to the bedside table and retrieved a journal. She started to open it and started to flip through the pages. The violet orbs noticed the drawings on the pages._

"_Did you draw all of these pictures yourself?" Masahiko questioned._

"_Yeah…but I haven't been able to draw anything lately…" Yumeko sighed._

"_Are you out of crayons and colored pencils?" The lad asked._

"_No, I've just been uninspired…I've just been bored. I haven't been able to do anything except sleep and eat," she grumbled._

_The lass with the rain cloud colored locks continued to flip through the papers. She stopped when the sheets became blank. She tore two of them out. _

"_Here," she offered, one of the papers in her hand towards him the other in her hand on her lap. "How about I teach you how to make a crane?"_

"_Okay," the boy agreed .He took the vellum out her hand. He set it on his own _

"_Okay first you fold it in half," Yumeko instructed. She took her paper and did just as she said, slowly so the prince could study to movement._

_Masahiko followed her instructions, looking rather nervous while doing so._

"_Now we open the paper and fold it the other way," she told him. She did it just as slowly the first step._

_The boy folded his paper even slower than she did. _

_This lesson continued at a snail's pace. The birds slowly began to form. At the end of it all, Yumeko had created a textbook example of a crane. Compared to hers, Masahiko's bird had a shorter neck and a wider wingspan. _

"_Hey at least it's straighter than the other one," the girl stated, trying to comfort him._

"_I guess you are right," the boy sighed. "It's amazing how good at you are at these."_

"_Well, I get sick a lot, so I spend a lot of time in bed. I have to do something besides sleep and eat. If I didn't I go crazy," she answered._

"_It's still amazing how you can make such lovely cranes," the violet haired boy commented. "When it comes to origami, I'm really only good at making butterflies."_

"_Really? Can I see?" the grey haired lass asked._

"_Sure," the prince replied._

_The girl offered another piece of paper and she watched as a butterfly emerged from the sheet. _

"_Wow! It's so cute!" she cried._

"_You can have it if you want to," the boy offered. _

"_Really? Thank you!" the half demon girl accepted. "So tell me, what's going on in school?"_

"_Well with the school festival__*** **__and everything, things are kind of hectic," the boy started. "My class is doing a haunted house so we're making the costumes for all the monsters."_

"_What is my class doing?" the little lady asked. _

"_Well, according to Aoi, she says your class is doing a fairytale themed café," the prince stated._

"_Fairytale themed café?" she repeated._

"_Yeah, everyone is going to dress up in like different fairytale characters," he responded._

"_Sounds like fun, I wish I can go and help," the girl sighed._

"_Don't worry, you'll get better, then you can go back to school," the boy affirmed._

"_I wonder about that, I get sick so easily, it feels like I never really get to go to school," the half demon exhaled._

"_I wish I never get to go to school, I rather be at home sleeping and playing," the boy exhaled. _

"_I know, but I don't get to see my friends all that much," Yumeko sighed. "I miss them a lot, you know? Whenever I want to do something with my friends, it seems I always get sick." _

_She could feel her rain cloud eyes fill with tears and then she felt something stroking her head._

"_Don't worry Yumeko, we understand," Masahiko said, gently rubbing her grey locks, "We all care about you, if we didn't, we wouldn't have made all those cranes. Don't worry about getting sick, that just makes you even sicker, and do you don't want that, do you?"_

_The girl simply nodded._

_He continued, "Just try to get better. Don't worry about us. We'll be waiting for you, no matter what. No matter what, we all care about you." _

_Suddenly, there was a creak and a voice called out, "Masahiko, the cookies are done." _

"_Okay, ma'am," the boy called. He started to leave the room, but when he reached the door, he stopped. He looked over his shoulder. "Get well soon," the prince stated smiley gently at her. He shut the door behind him._

_The girl still looked at the door, a slight blush on her face. She took her journal and a few colored pencils. Immediately, she started to draw, each pencil slowly shrinking from her work. At the end, the sheet had the prince's face, the same gentle smile on his face from when he left her._

* * *

"Ever since that day, whenever I get uninspired, I just think of Masahiko and I just start drawing. I feel happy,comfortable, and inspired whenever I'm near him," Yumeko finished.

"Okay, who's next?" Natsuki asked.

"It's Amai's turn now!" Fumiko hollered.

"_**WHAT?!" **_The little hare yelled.

"Yep, it's Amai's turn!" The red Tweedle agreed.

"Hey you two shouldn't push people like that," Tama scolded.

"_**I'M NOT GOING!" **_Amai screamed.

"Come on," Utako stated. "We're all going to reveal our stories, so you're just going have to tell yours eventually."

"_**NO WAY!" **_ the carrot topped gal hollered. In the blink of an eye, the tablecloth seemed to lift itself up and the girl vanished.

"What's she doing?" Vivaldi asked.

"You know how dogs get scared of thunder and they will hide under your bed or something?" Akahana asked aloud.

"Yes," the queen responded

"It's the same thing for Amai. Whenever she gets nervous or scared, she runs off and hides. She especially likes hiding under stuff," the noirette finished.

The girl hopped out of her chair and crouched down near the pink linen; picking up to reveal the hare girl crouched in a ball.

"Come on out Amai, there's nothing to be afraid of," she stated.

The little brown-eared girl continued to stay bundled up in a circle. She turned her head slightly away from her friend.

"What's wrong? Are you afraid we'll laugh at you?" the little lady on the ground questioned. "We already swore that we wouldn't laugh at anyone unless they made a joke. Now come on, you're going to get dirty kneeling in the dirt like that." She smiled gently at her friend.

The hatted girl offered a hand. The little hare took it and came out from under the cherry pink sheet.

"Now where were we?" Akahana asked.

"Well, I guess I should begin. I want to get this over this anyway," the orange haired girl grunted.

"Well then, hurry up and tell it," the red Tweedle commanded.

"Yeah, hurry!" her cousin agreed.

"_**SHUT UP!" **_Amai hollered.

"Well then, tell your story," Akahana ushered.

The little hare blushed, "Well it started when I wanted to make a birthday cake for my Tou-san. It was the first time I decided to make one all by myself. I followed my Kaa-san's recipe word for word. However…for some reason… the cake came out weird…"

"What do you mean by weird?" Alice asked.

"Well…" Amai started.

* * *

_The little hare continued to dash away, looking over her shoulder. She finally stopped when she got to the wheat field. She panted, trying to revive herself. Her legs buckled and she fell to the ground._

"_I wonder if anyone saw that," she pondered as she lay down on the ground. "If anyone did, I…"_

"_**AMAI! HEY AMAI!" **_a voice called out.

The little girl froze; she couldn't even look behind her again. She has been positive that there has been no one had seen her. In the blink of her violet eye, she had jumped and had curled herself in the wheat field.

"_**HEY AMAI!" **__the voice cried out once more._

_The hare girl didn't even think twice. She immediately jumped into the wheat field and started to dash off. Weaving and bobbing along, she didn't stop until something hit her foot, causing her to fall on her stomach. She rolled over so she could rub the aching skin on her belly and watch the clouds go by. She prayed that whoever called out had lost her in the crowd of grain. _

_However, her hopes flew away when a pair of violet eyes and a warm smile faced her._

"_I found Amai~," the boy said in a singsong voice. _

_She turned over on her side to avoid the grin. "What are you doing here?" she asked._

"_I was heading over to your house, but then I saw you running," he answered. "What's wrong?"_

"_It's nothing, Masahiko. I'll take you to the mansion," Amai stated. _

_The girl started walking slowly out of the field. "Now be careful, I don't want to lose you in here," she said._

"_I don't think that will be a problem," Masahiko guessed, a slight bit of humor in his voice._

"_Why?" the hare questioned._

"_Your ears stick out of the wheat, that's how I was able to find you," he giggled._

_The hare stopped in her tracks. A cherry blush grew on the carrot top's cheeks. She began to dash off._

"_Hey, wait up!" the boy hollered._

_They made their way into the mansion, coming in through the back door in the kitchen. _

"_Come on, Amai, I said that I was sorry!" he begged._

"_I'm going to tell my Otou-san you're here," the little girl huffed. "You stay right here, I'll be right back."_

_The brown-eared girl practically stomped out, leaving the prince all by himself. He walked around glancing around at the cocoa brown cabinets, hoping to see if any snacks were available. Mrs. March __**was**__ well known for her sweets…_

_He continued to search the kitchen until he spotted a cake pan hiding something._

"_Lucky me!" he muttered and glanced at the cabinet and realizing the height difference, the top of violet bangs barely reached the drawer knob and the cake pan was about the height of his head._

_He grumbled and then glanced around, spotting a chair just around the corner. In the blink of an eye, he had adjusted where all he had to was just stand where you would usually sit and he would be in business. He had stood up and had his hand on the top of the cover on the cake stand when he heard footsteps._

"_Yeah, Tou-san, he should be in here…" a voice spoke. Amai was entering the room when she saw the boy clutching on to the cover. "Um...Tou-san I think that he may be with Blood-ani-sama. He said what he was here for, why don't you look for him there," she rushed her voice and pushed the man behind her. As soon she watched him leave, she ran towards him and screamed, "__**STOP!"**_

_The boy lifted the lid and revealed the pastry underneath. It was rather… unique…_

_The orange cake itself seemed a little lopsided, the top was a slant the left was higher than the right. Someone had tried to even this effect out with cream white icing but just seem to make more obvious because the swirls on the lower side were bigger than the higher side._

_Then there was the frosting on the cake that was another odd thing. There was a v-pattern; one slightly slanting beam would go down, ending in a swirl. Then another beam would come up to make another one. It would have been pretty if the beams were straight. Instead, they were a rather zigzagged. _

"_This is rather um…unusual," the boy started, "I guess your mom has been trying new recipes again?" He turned to the little hare and started to see tears in her amethyst eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked._

"_I…I…didn't want anyone to see that…" she whimpered, tears starting rush down._

"_You made this?" he asked. He pointed to the cake, if you could call it that._

"_Yeah…I made for my tou-san's birthday tomorrow…" Amai sniffed in between trying to stop her sobs. _

"_It's very well, unique," Masahiko stated._

"_You don't have to pretend, I know it stinks," the girl scoffed._

"_I don't think so," the prince stated. He took a few whiffs of the pastry, "Smells pretty nice to me."_

"_I didn't mean it that way," the girl grumbled. She couldn't help however but giggle at his joke, rubbing the drops from her orbs._

"_So what are you going to do with it?" the boy asked._

"_**THROW IT AWAY!" **__the hare girl hollered. __**"I DON'T WANT ANYONE SEE IT!"**_

"_You don't anyone see what, Amai?" a deeper voice asked._

_The two kids turned around to see a man with a pair of cinnamon ears from a head of carrot and a shadow woman right next to him._

"_**NOTHING! NOTHING AT ALL, TOU-SAN, KAA-SAN!**__ Nothing to worry about!" she yelled out. Her hands moving around crazily and she ended it with a long nervous giggle._

"_Perfect timing sir!" the little prince cried out. He took the cake stand in his hands, holding the round flat part like a plate, and quickly jumped off the chair. He dashed until he right if front the March Hare and he held the cake up to him for him to take. "Here you go sir, Amai made this for your birthday!"_

"_**YOU BAKA*! I TOLD YOU I WANTED TO THROW IT AWAY!" **__The girl screamed._

"_Did you really make this, Amai?" the male hare asked._

_The little female hare looked at the man and immediately blushed. She looked at his violet eyes with her own and mumbled, "Yeah…"_

_The man set the stand on the counter slowly and took careful steps toward the girl. Then in the blink of an eye, she felt his arms wrap around her and his cheek rubbing against her own. _

"_You're sweet girl, Amai! Thank you so much! I love you so much!" He cooed excitedly over the girl._

"_Huh? What do you mean, Tou-san?" the girl asked. She pushed him away far enough so that she could look into his eyes. "The cake so funny…It's not pretty like the cakes Kaa-san makes."_

"_But you made this cake for me, and that is enough to make me happy," he stated. _

_She blinked at him, her eyes then started to shine and she blushed when she cuddled against his cheek and squealed, __**"TOU-SAN!"**_

_The two hare were snuggling against each other, while the shadow of a woman went to a drawer and pulled on it so it could open. She pulled out four forks and a knife. The woman set it down next to the cake stand, went to one of the cabinets, and opened it. You could see stacks of platters and bowls inside this one. She pulled a few of the plates from the top and placed them next to the stand. She picked up the knife and started to slice the cake._

"_Um… Kaa-san? Are you sure we can eat it?" the girl asked. "Since it came out so weird…"_

"_Amai? Did you use the middle oven?" the shadow woman asked._

_The little hare closed her eyes and visualized the three ovens the kitchen she used. Then she nodded her head. "Yeah," she answered. _

"_That oven tends to cook unevenly so that's why it came out uneven. It should be okay," the woman explained._

_She continued to slice the cake until there were four plates each with a slice and a fork on it. She handed each one to each person in the room. The boy decided to decline the offer though._

"_What's wrong?" the woman asked._

"_Well, I don't really like carrots all that much," the boy mumbled._

"_Don't worry, just try a little," the woman stated. She pushed the cake to him and he took it. Slowly, he stabbed the orange food with the fork and lifted it to his mouth. He closed his eyes and quickly chomped down on the crumb, but then froze and opened his eyes._

"_**WOW!" **__Masahiko exclaimed. __**"THIS IS GOOD!"**_

"_Really?" Amai asked. _

"_Yeah! It's delicious!" the prince confirmed. He then began to gobble down more on the pastry._

_The hare child looked at him for what seemed forever with blushing cheeks. "Hey Masahiko, why did you show Tou-san my cake?" the girl mumbled, the blush still on her face._

"_Well, I thought that even though your cake wasn't the best, you still put effort and heart into this and you should show it," Masahiko stated. He paused and put the fork to his lips, a pondering look on his face. "It's like that saying, it's the thought that counts," He looked at her with a kind smile. "Right?"_

_The blush on her face grew deeper, "Right," she agreed._

* * *

"Masahiko taught me that as long as there is heart and effort in something, it doesn't have to fancy or well-done to be special," the hare stated. "Besides the smile he made when he bit into my cake was really cute." The statement made a cherry blush grow on her face.

"Of course your story would have to have food, rabbit-pig," the red Tweedle stated.

"Yeah that's true," her cousin in blue agreed.

"_**SHUT UP!"**_ the little carrot top yelled.

"Now, now, calm down you three," Akahana uttered as she sipped her tea.

"I'll go next," Midori stated.

"So how did you start liking Masahiko?" the foreigner asked.

"Well you see it was at my first sleepover, it was at Heart Castle," the mouse girl began.

* * *

_The dark grey clouds and the water gushing from them like a waterfall didn't seem to dampen the cheerful atmosphere in the room full of pillows flying._

"_**BOMBS AWAY!"**__ a scream came out. A pillow few into the air and hit the carrot top in a light yellow slip on the head. _

"_**TARGET DESTROYED!" **__Mamoru cried. _

_Two noirettes, one in red Pjs the other in blue, high fived each other and uttered, "Yeah!"_

"_**I'M GONNA GET YOU!" **__Amai screamed. She took a cushion and threw it across the room. Over both forts made of similar padding, it flew and smacked the brunette on the cheek._

"_**TAKE THAT!" **__the round-eared girl puffed until another pillow smacked her in the mouth that sent her on the ground._

"_Way to go, U-ta-ko!" the brunette chanted. The red girl in yellow Pjs with white musical notes all over her next to her beamed and they high fived each other. _

"_We'll take care of that," the white rabbit on the other side stated. "Ready girls?"_

_All the other girls on her side quickly grabbed a pillow and posed themselves to throw their ammunition. _

"_**READY…SET…FIRE!" **__she commanded. Cushions then flew to the left, coming in like bombs. The girls on the other side ducked down._

_While crouched down, the little mouse girl tapped the shoulder of the brunette. _

"_Um Mamo-chan, do you know where the bathroom is?" Midori asked, fumbling with the little green camisole with a yellow stripe at the fringe._

"_Oh yeah, I've been in this room before, just take a right the hall way, the you take two lefts on the next hallways and then you go right again once then take two more lefts and the first door you see is the bathroom," Mamoru answered. _

"_Right, Left, right? Left, left, right left?" the green-eyed girl stuttered. She tilted her head and rubbed her knuckles on the side head, while humming trying to remember what her friend said. _

"_Just remember two rolls without the 'O's and you'll be just find it," the girl assured. Just then, a cushion leaped from the other side smacked Mamoru on the bed._

_That was a sign from above that it was time to get going in the mouse girl's mind. She grabbed one of the many blankets covering the ground, covered herself with it, and crawled on the ground like turtle with a shell on until she reached the door. She quickly took off the cover and opened the door and quickly shut behind her so fast, you would have to watch it frame to frame to catch it all. _

_When she was outside the small war, she leaned on the door and sighed, "Safe…"_

_Midori stood up and then began walking down the hall, when she encountered that the hall way ended with two paths. _

"_Let me, roll…" she started, trying to remember what her friend told her. "RIGHT!" she exclaimed. She dashed down the right hallway. She got down that hallway and then dashed down to the left and then once more to the left, she continued this progress until she found the door she needed._

_After doing her business, she suddenly realized that didn't know how to get back. "Maybe if I go backwards, then that will start," she contemplated. "Let me see, I went left so now I go right."_

_Suddenly the dark hallway lit up from the streak from the sky. _

_***BOOM!***_

_The girl froze in her spot._

_Masahiko stumbled in the dark, rubbing an eye with the sleeve of his plum pajamas. He looked around to see if one of the many maids in the castle to ask for a glass of water. He noticed something shivering underneath a table that stood to decorate the hall with its red wood and the vase of his mother's favorite flowers on top. He crouched down next to the shaking mass._

"_Hello?" he stated._

_The huddled creature suddenly rose and hit its head on the bottom of the flat part of the table. He could see one green eye showing as a little hand rubbed the head._

"_Midori?" the prince said._

"_Masahiko! What are you doing here?" the little mouse girl questioned._

"_I should be asking you the same question," he commented. "What are you doing underneath a table this late at night?"_

"_Well you see…" the little girl started, but a bolt of lightning and its partner in crime stopped the girl. _

_***CRASH***_

"_Wow! That one sure did seem close didn't Mido…" he started but then noticed the girl was missing._

"_Midori!" he hollered, he scanned the corridor hoping to see her again. He spotted a new green pillow that seem to shake on its red couch. He dashed towards the seat._

"_What's wrong, Midori?" he asked. "You seem to be acting weird."_

_***CLANG!***_

_Another fire bolt shot from the sky; the vermin girl made sort of a squeaky scream then curled herself even tighter._

"_Is it possible…that you're scared of thunder?" Masahiko asked._

"_Ever since I was a baby," Midori confessed. "I've always been scared of when storms come. The sudden flashes of lightening, the roars of thunder, and the rain ponding hard on everything…I…I cannot help myself. Tou-chan says I get it from Kaa-chan, whenever a storm comes around, Kaa-chan and I snuggle up to each other and wait for the storm to pass…but Kaa-chan isn't here…"_

_The prince asked, "Do you want me to help you back to the party?"_

_The girl shook her head, "Don't worry about it. I'll be…"_

_Another crack of thunder interrupted her, causing her to crouch back into a ball. __**"I'LL BE FINE!" **__she shrilly squeaked._

"_Alright," the boy glanced around the hallway. "It's just you seem to be really scared. And you kind of clash with the couch, tiles, curtains, just saying that you might make Mother mad…"_

"_That's not funny," pouted the mouse._

_Another clash caused the girl to cower in to seat. _

_For a short while, the girl quivered as if the cold rain was hitting her instead of the window. Suddenly something warm slipped around one of her hands on her head._

_The prince tugged at her hand and helped her down off the couch. The boy then dashed off, still holding her hand. The thing attached to his hand acted like an anchor when the stormed roared, the lad had to stop for a few seconds but soon enough that _

"_What are we doing in here?" the little girl asked._

"_This is my room, I thought you might need a place to sleep tonight, because of the storm," the prince answered. _

"_D…Don't worry…about Midori-chan…Midori'll be just fine…" Midori stuttered._

_***BOOM!***_

_Another spark from the clouds and crash made the vermin girl dove underneath the red and black checkered blanket. The bump she made seemed to shake as if she was in an earthquake. A pair of viridian circles then peeked out._

"_Can…Can I stay the night please?" the mouse girl squeaked. _

_The boy chuckled, "Of course."_

_He began to shift himself under the blankets and settled his head near the pillows. The prince lifted his sheets to see the girl still curled up down at the foot of the bed._

"_Are you going to sleep down there?" _

"_Is that okay?"_

_***CRASH!***_

_There was another bolt that made the girl squeezed the closest thing for her, when the flash had died the mouse had noticed that she was holding something warm, she glanced up a bit to see the prince looking at her._

"_Choking not breathing…seeing stars…" the boy gasped._

"_Sorry…." She squeaked slightly, losing her grip on him immediately._

"_Don't worry about it," the prince stated. He began to stroke the amber locks on her head. "Don't worry about anything…the storm will pass…I will be right here… everything will be just fine."_

_As her eye lids got heavier, the only things in her mind were the warmth touching the top of her hair and the words… "Don't worry…I will be right here…" seemed to repeat in her mind._

_The boy continued to stroke her hair until her breathing slowed and the roar of the storm no longer made her flinch. He let his hand lay there as he drifted off._

_Gentle touch of the sun's rays nudged the girl to wake up by poking her cheek. Her emerald eyes slowly open to see the boy still sleeping, his hand still resting on her locks._

* * *

"When I was scared, Masahiko was the one who comforted me and made me feel safe," Midori finished, "He stayed right by my side, all that night."

"_**UNFORGIVABLE…" **_

The queen, foreigner, and the mouse looked at the rest of the girls seemed to have a dark aura and a small spark at the end of their eyes.

"How could you, Mi-chan!" the white rabbit whined.

"What?" the little mouse asked.

"To sleep in Masahiko's bed before me…." The little noirette with a cap snarled with fist shaking in the air_**"UNFORGIVABLE!"**_

"_**LET'S GET HER!"**_ The kitten roared.

The vermin girl began to run as her friends began to chase after her. The two older females simply watched as the girls ran around the table, finally the girls decided to run down a path.

"Friendship is a wonderful thing, isn't it Vivaldi?" Alice muttered.

"However, when it comes to love, friendship among woman is a fragile thing," the queen countered.

They looked at each other, made a quick nod, got up from the table, and followed the girls down the green path.

A few minutes later, all the little girls except for one seemed to be massaging a bump on the top of their heads.

"Now what have you learned?" Alice asked.

"Don't try to get your friends?" the raven-haired girl with a cap in her lap asked as she tapped the bump on her noggin.

"No, the lesson was don't pick on your friends, but close enough," the foreigner sighed.

"Umm…Once-chama…can I go next?" Aoi asked quietly.

"Are you sure Aoi-chan?" Her red head with a braid asked.

"Yeah, it be unfair if I'm the only one who doesn't tell my story," the little blue haired girl assured. She then turned to the rest of the table.

"It all started after school while I had to do day duty*****," she started. "Well more like forced to do day duty…"

* * *

"_**OI! MONREY!" **__a female voice called out._

_The little girl paused, her hand as high as it would go on the blackboard, she turned her head to see two faceless girls dressed up in the same black long sleeve blouse with a golden tie on her chest, and the ends of shirt were gold as well. Their skirts were just long dark skirts going down to their knees. They wore dark buckle shoes with white socks. One held a dishrag while a bucket hung in the other's head._

_Wearing the same uniform and nearly out the door, Aoi stopped and turned around._

_The little bluenette turned and squeaked, "Yes?"_

"_We have day duty today, but we have other plans, so we've leave it to you," the one with the scrap of fabric stated. _

"_But I can't, I have to go home," the faced girl countered. "My Otou-chan and Okaa-chan will be worried."_

"_Well sorry, baby," the girl with the bucket teased. "You're just going to disappoint your mama and papa."_

"_But I have to go home," Aoi pleaded._

_The two girls set down their cleaning utensils and walked steadily towards her. They shoved her down to the ground. _

"_Just wash the windows for us and you can get home, okay?" one girl suggested. She picked up the dust cloth and threw it into Aoi's face._

"_Now if you don't mind, we'll be off," the girl who threw the rag stated. _

_And with that, both girls huffed and strolled away._

_Aoi just laid there until they left, and then taking the rag of her face, she rose up. She set the azure backpack on her back on a desk. She rolled up her sleeves and dunked the cloth in the bucket's water._

_As she rung it out, she pondered, "This is the third time this week. Otou-chan fixes dozens of clocks a day. May if he was a doctor, then maybe he could fix my broken back bone."_

_The girl sighed and started on the windows, scrubbing tem left to right. When she was done with everything that she could reach, she just got a chair form one of the desks, stood up on it, and wiped above the previous area._

_When Aoi was finished, the windows seem to sparkle like fine gems._

"_Well, now that's done…" she stated. She got off her chair and pushed it back to its desk. She grabbed the light blue knapsack and put it on her back, started to stroll but then she stopped._

_In fish tank, full of little small fish, colored practically every color under the rainbow, the water level only reached half way. In addition, standing next to the tank, a can with a fish seemed to be in the same as it was yesterday, despite that day's morning duties._

_She groaned, "I wish people would stop neglecting the class pets."_

_The child set the bag on the ground, strolled to the tank, and took the can in hand. She lifted the lid to see aluminum foil covering the whole container, no way of food getting out. She shined in annoyance and stuck her finger into the foil, wiggling it around. She left a good-sized hole. She dangled the can and shook it around, little flakes of orange and brown fell down like snow. The little guppies immediately swam to them, taking bites of the food. _

_Aoi then turned around, took the bucket off the ground, and strolled out of the room. She found the restroom and dumped all the soapy water down the sink. The girl then turned on the faucet and filled the bucket slightly. She swished it around and dumped it again. Then she filled the bucket half away. The blue haired lass then left the restroom and went back to the classroom where she dumped the pail's contents into the fish tank. _

"_There, now I can go home," the girl stated to herself with pride. She then picked up her backpack and left the room for the day._

_A few days afterwards, Aoi was just about to leave the classroom when the two girls from the other day appeared before her again. The sapphire haired girl tried to ignore them and just gently walked in between them. One faceless girl however stopped her, by placing her own hand, on Aoi's shoulder._

"_What's wrong, Monrey?" the girl asked. "We need you to help us."_

"_I'm serious this time," the faced child stated. "I have to go home!"_

"_Just do what we say and you can," the other lass stated._

_The hand on the girl shoulder let go and then she felt something push her down. _

"_**STOP IT!" **__a voice called out._

_Aoi looked up and saw Masahiko, wearing a rose red jacket and ebony e t-shirt with ruby tie with brown pants and simple black shoes and a scowl on his face. For school he wore no crown, but like all the other Roleholder's children, everyone knew who he was._

"_What are you two doing?" the boy asked._

"_It's nothing, she's just trying to get of doing her day duty," one of the girls responded._

"_Really?" he responded. He crossed his arms. "It looks more like that you are forcing her to do your chores."_

"_What does it matter to you?" The other one asked._

"_I just don't appreciate prissy spoiled girls trying to use my friends," the boy growled. "If you don't want to clean so much, then complain to the teacher. Just don't try to use others to do your own work." _

_The boy stomped over to the girl still on the ground. He knelt in front of her and held his hand out. All at once, his face melted into gentler features, from an angry to a concerned and compassionate in the blink of an eye._

"_Are you alright?" he asked._

_Aoi's cheeks bloomed into a cherry pink. "Yeah," she replied, staring at him. She slid her hand into the boy's own and with a slight tug, the girl was up on her feet. _

_Masahiko faced the two faceless girls once more. He gave them one good scowl then started to walkout the building, his hand acting like a leash, forcing Aoi to go with him. _

_The lad then stopped in his tracks and then said, "By the way, my mother does love to cut heads off. I bet she won't cutting off your heads if I told her what happened, I bet she would love the chomp your heads."_

_As the girls started to shiver, he continued, putting his hand on his chin, looking up at the ceiling. "Let me see, what should be the charge? Hmm…I know! Harassment of a close friend of the royal family!"_

_He turned to face the two girls and asked them, "How does that sound to you?" _

_However, the two girls were gone from the doorway. Instead, you could see them; sweeping and scrubbing as if their lives depended on it._

_The boy chuckled as he left the building, the blue haired girl still holding his hand. _

_After they left the building, they continued to walk hand in hand, him leading her. Aoi's head was hung down began this conversation._

"_Why were you being so mean to them?" she asked._

_The prince turned to his friend. "Why not?" he responded. "They were being mean to you." _

_The girl looked at him with a serious face, "You're just being a bully to a bully! You're no better than them!"_

_The boy sighed, "They wouldn't stop bullying you unless you show them that you can be mean too."_

_The girl paused and whimpered, "I don't think I can…"_

_Masahiko chuckled, "Of course. How can I ask a girl whose kind enough to feed and water fishes even when everyone else has gone home to mean to anyone?"_

_Aoi stared at him; another harvest of blush grew on her face now. All that came out of her mouth was, "What?"_

_The lad smiled and started, "Well you see, I tend to forget my notes at school sometimes, so when I go get them, I cut through your school to get to mine. So sometimes, I see some girls pick on you and force you to do their chores, but sometimes I see you do things like feeding and watering the fish, putting fresh flowers your teacher's vase, I've even seen you fix a squeaky chair once."_

_The cobalt haired girl blushed once more and rubbed her deep colored locks. "It only needed some oil," she stuttered._

_The prince smiled, "See, you're too nice. But that's what so good about you." He took his other hand and touched her bangs, rubbing them rather messy. "If there is anyone who tries to be mean to you, you tell me okay?"_

_The blush on the little girl's face seemed to deepen into a blood red, all she could notice were the smile on his face and…that his hand was still holding her own._

"_Um…Masahiko?" the bluenette child started._

"_Yes?" the violet haired lad asked._

"_It's nothing, don't worry," the girl stated. _

_As the two walked along the path, the fickle time of Wonderland decided to wear its orange and pink dress. While occasionally glancing at the view of the sun slowly sinking into the ground, most of the girl's attention was on her hand still in the boy's fist._

* * *

"Masahiko was really brave and a little tough, but he still treated me very kindly and gently," Aoi stated. "That's what I like about him."

"Don't you mean _**love **_about him?" the brunette suggested, a mischievous smile on her face. She poked a little at Aoi's cheeks.

"Mou! Mamo-chan stop it!" the bluenette huffed, her cheeks puffed out.

"What about you, Mamo-chan?" the white rabbit asked. "Why did you like Masahiko?"

She paused and rubbed the back of her head, "Well you see I'm really stupid, so I don't think I remember!" she chuckled loudly.

"Come on Mamo-chan," Akahana ushered as she swirled the contents of her teacup. She took a quick sip and set it down. "Whenever you play that dumb girl act, you're trying to hide something."

"_**OH! YOU'VE GOT ME!"**_ Mamoru hollered, quickly clasping her chest. She swooned for a few seconds and then fell out of sight, somewhere underneath the covered tablecloth. In a few moments, she rose back up, her hands on her cheeks. "Well looks like I have to tell. You see it all started when I was looking at some flowers in a book.

* * *

_Her legs idly swaying in the air, Mamoru continued stare at the garden of red blooms on the page in front of her. Blinking, she flipped the page to see some golden bell-like flowers hanging from a curved stem. The words above the picture red __**GOLDEN BELL LILY**__._

_Intrigued by the blossoms, she looked down at the small print beneath the photo._

**The Golden Bell Lily is a flower that grows in warm temperatures, blooming in the summer. It has a rather lovely aroma. When shaken, it actually produces a light ringing sound with its stamen, almost like a bell, to attract animals, such as hummingbirds or bats for pollination. **

"_Wow... it sure looks pretty," the rose-eyed girl admired. _

"_What are you doing?" a female voiced called out. _

_The little girl looked up from her book to see a shadow of a woman._

"_Hi Mom! I was reading this book, look at the flower I found," the girl stated. She stood up and lifted the book, pointing to the flower._

"_Wow, that's a pretty flower!" her mom exclaimed. "It looks just like my favorite flower."_

"_Really?" the child asked._

"_It looks similar, although the blooms aren't as big," the older woman stated._

_Suddenly, the door opened and a male voice called out, __**"I'M HOME!"**_

"_Welcome home, Dad!" the girl exclaimed._

"_Please take off your boots and cape. I don't want any blood or mud on the floor," the woman stated in a monotone voice._

_The first thing the male did was hug the girl tightly, "Mamo-chan! Your mom is being to me!"_

"_You know Mom, she always gets mad at you for always going off to help Julius-ani," Mamoru scolded. "She gets lonely."_

"_Oh~?" Letting go of his daughter, the man then held his wife and asked, "Did you really miss me?"_

"_Well, just a little…" the woman blushed turning her head away from the knight. _

_He gave one of her light pink cheeks a kiss._

"_Hey Dad? Have you ever seen this flower?" the girl questioned, holding the book over her head._

_Examining the picture, the man stated, "I think I've seen them somewhere…"_

"_Really where?" Mamoru excitedly asked._

"_Remember dear, this is coming from a man who can't tell his right from his left," the lady scolded. _

"_How cruel!" the knight cried in fake offence. _

_The three of them started to giggle._

"_If I remember correctly, there might be some near the mountain bases," Ace stated. _

"_The next time we go out, can we please go look for some?" the child pleaded. _

"_I think it would be fine, just as long as you stay on the paths I mark," the woman stated. _

"_Thank you mom!" the girl squealed and quickly jumped into her mother's arms._

_Snuggling into her daughter's cheek, the older female reminded, "Now remember, it's your job to keep your dad on the paths okay?"_

_The child agreed, "Don't worry I will!"_

"_I thought it was my job to take care of her," the man stated._

"_No it's her job to make sure you come home as soon as possible," his wife countered._

_The girl puffed her chest then smacked her fist unto it. "Don't worry mom, leave everything to me," she boasted._

"_Looks like I'm in your hands," the man stated._

"_Just leave everything to me," _the_ girl replied._

_The family laughed the familiarity of the conversation because you could hear it every day in that household._

_After a few days, Mamoru and her dad were once again, camping out in the middle of the woods. _

"_Hey Dad, do you there are any Golden Bell Lilies around here?" the girl asked. _

"_Every single time we've gone out, you've been asking about those flowers," the man stated._

"_I really want to see them though!" the girl exclaimed, hopping up and down, holding on to the brown cape._

_The sky then changed from a blue dress to a gown made of orange and pinks. _

"_Well looks like it is time to set up camp for a little while, why don't you collect some firewood?" the man asked._

"_Alright," the girl sighed._

_He smiled, "Don't worry; I'm sure we'll find those flowers soon."_

_She smiled back, "I'll go that wood now." The girl then began to dash into the surrounding emerald trees._

"_**REMEMBER! DON'T GO OFF THE PATHS MOM MARKED OUT!"**__ the man called out, __**"I'LL BE RIGHT HERE!"**_

"_**I WON'T!"**__ she hollered over her shoulder and continued to race into the woods._

_When Mamoru was finished, several brittle twigs were under her arm._

"_These will make good make good kindling," she thought as another stick flew onto the pile. _

_***RING!***_

_The lass glanced around her surroundings, "That's weird…I thought we left town hours ago…" she mumbled_

_***RING!***_

_It was the second time the sound rung out was then Mamoru noticed how high pitched the sound was, too sharp to be the note of a gonging church bell._

"_Maybe it is a Golden Bell?" she pondered._

_She started to wonder off, just a bit. As if trying to spot something yellow amongst the brown and green. When the girl came up flowerless, she thought it was just her imagination. Then…_

_***RING!***_

"_It's a Golden Bell!" the child exclaimed. The branches had fallen into a pile and left behind as she dashed off. However, she stopped herself and glanced up at the timber. _

"_None of these trees have one of Mom's marks…" she thought. "I promised Dad I wouldn't stray off the paths…but what Dad won't know won't hurt him…"_

_So she race off, continuing to look for the flowers._

_The once galloping pace was now barely a trot, as Mamoru continued to scan the forests for the lilies she wanted._

"_I guess I'm pretty lost now," she mumbled. "Now, what do I do?"_

_The lass glanced around for another form of life. _

"_**DAD! ARE YOU AROUND HERE? DAD!"**__ the child called out but then remembered her father's words. _

"_I'LL BE RIGHT HERE!" the flashback echoed. _

"_Dad…is probably…waiting…for me…" the thought loomed over her head like a rain cloud._

_A something cold and wet hit the back of neck that made her jump. Mamoru looked up to get the same thing on the forehead. She glanced up and saw the sky was now a dark grey. _

_The girl's hands flew to cover her head. She started to race once more scanning the forest for a place to hide. She spotted a tree with a whole at the bottom big enough for her to make as a shelter. _

_The lass then scrambled into the whole, it was big enough for her to stand, but she curled up into ball and settled herself on the grassy ground of the wooden cave._

"_I wonder…if Dad…is still waiting for me…" she pondered as she watched the rain falling down. The girl just stared out as if as if she was looking out a window. _

_She didn't notice a person dashing towards the same tree just like she had. Her wine colored eyes focused on the scene in front of her. _

"_What's wrong?" a voice asked. _

_Mamoru practically jumped out her skin, she rose so fast that she bumped the top of her head on the ceiling of the cave. She slumped back, there were little stars flying around her head and her ruby eyes replaced with back swirls circling around._

"_Are you okay?" the voice questioned._

"_Don't worry I'm fine…" the girl stated in a tired voice. She shook her head trying to focus. All she could see was three boys with purple hair spinning around. After blinking a few times, she only saw one boy with purple hair staring at her. _

"_Masahiko! What are you doing here?" the brown-haired lass cried out._

"_A little while ago, the sky changed to sunset, and since my mother loves the sunset, my family decided to go on a picnic. I was told by some maids that there were some berries bushes near the spot we had picked. So I decided to pick some, but I guess I must have wondered off," the prince explained. He rubbed the back off his head. "But look!"_

_The lad turned from her for a second to glance into his pocket and pulled out a few small red fruits. _

"_Looks like the berries I found were raspberries. Try some!" he offered._

"_I don't know…most of the berries I've ever eaten were strawberries that I picked with my family," the girl mumbled. "How do they taste?"_

_Masahiko answered, "I'm not sure…I haven't tried them, let me have a few."_

_The boy picked a few of the fruits and placed them into his mouth._

"_So are they good?" the brunette asked._

_The prince's face squished itself, making him look like a fish. After falling on his back, his hands clasped his throat. _

"_Masahiko!" the ponytailed lass gasped, her hands on the ground._

_Masahiko took a big gulp and sighed, "Man those are good berries! Try some!" Holding out his hand, the boy held the little red fruits out._

_Mamoru pouted, "Don't scare me like that!" Then took a few of the berries out of his hand and lifted one of them into her mouth. The sweet, tart flavor hit her tongue. _

"_Wow! These are good!" she grinned. Popping another into her mouth, the girl continued to beam. _

"_Well, it's good to see you smiling again," Masahiko stated._

_The girl swallowed before answering, "What do you mean by that?"_

"_Well I saw you crying before I came in so I was worried," the prince responded._

"_What do you mean?" the lass asked. "I wasn't crying."_

"_The tear stains on your face seemed to evidence of it," the boy countered._

_Mamoru, bound by curiosity, touched her cheek. Her fingers were wet. He had been telling the truth, she had been crying._

"_I broke my promise…" she mumbled._

"_What?" he asked._

"_I broke my promise to my dad," the female stated louder. "I promised him that wouldn't stray off the path that Mom marked for us, but I just so curious…I thought I heard a Golden Bell Lily…"_

"_Golden Bell…Lily?" the lad repeated. _

"_Yeah, I saw it once in a book a few days ago, and ever since I wanted to see one in real life. They looked so pretty and they even make sounds like bells, I just really wanted to see one," the girl explained. "So I left the path and I left my dad behind…he's probably still waiting for me…"_

_There was only the sound of water falling out of the sky and the sniffs of a girl with water falling from her eyes. The girl then felt something warm move across the top of her head._

"_Don't worry, I'm sure your dad will understand," the boy stated._

"_Really?" the lass asked._

"_Yeah, he might get a little worried and maybe even mad, but it will all be fine in the end, it will pass," the prince assured._

"_Speaking of passing, the rain seems to be gone away," Mamoru commented._

_The two peaked out from their shelter, to see the sky clear and the smell of wet foliage._

"_Come on, let's go see if we can find dad," Masahiko ushered._

"_Wait, what about your family?" the female questioned._

"_Don't worry," the boy said. "I think I can find my family. You need more help to find yours more than I do."_

"_Okay," Mamoru answered._

_They strolled around the place, looking through bushes and trees, trying to find some evidence of the Knight of Hearts._

"_Hey Mamoru, come over her for a second," the prince requested._

"_Did you find my dad?" the girl asked._

"_Well, I think I found something that you were looking for," the boy stated. "Come look."_

_Mamoru peeked through the bushes to see a field of what looked like golden bells on stems._

"_**GOLDEN BELL LILIES!" **__the girl exclaimed. She dashed towards the flowers leaving the boy in her dust. She skidded to a halt right in front of the blooms and got on her hands and knees, and adjusted her head so her nose would go into one of the blooms._

"_This smell… it reminds me of Mom's perfume…but this flower seems a little sweeter," the girl thought when her eyes were closed._

"_I thought I would find you here," a voiced called out._

_The two children looked up to see the man they were looking for, leaning against a tree._

"_Dad!" the girl hollered and raced over to him, hopping right into his arms. "What are you doing here?"_

"_I wondered what was taking you so long, so I decided to look for you," the man explained. "I guess I wasn't paying attention and I wandered off the path. I found these flowers and thought you might be looking for them. So, I decided to wait here until you came here."_

"_How did you know I would come here?" the girl asked._

"_Because you're just like me, I might not get to where I want to fast, but I get there eventually," the knight replied._

_The girl's ruby eyes began to fill with water and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry Dad. I know I promised you I wouldn't leave the path, but I thought heard one of these lilies so I wondered off."_

"_Don't worry, everyone gets curious every now and then, even when they are not supposed to," the man smiled and rubbed the chestnut locks on top of her head. "But we're still going to tell Mom when we get home."_

"_So, I guess that means I'll be in trouble when we get home…" the child sighed._

"_Well maybe she'll let you off easier, if I tell her that you were exercising you curiosity," the man suggested. _

"_Thanks Dad," Mamoru snuggled his cheek._

"_So what are you going tell my mother?" the prince asked._

"_Nothing, you tell her the truth," the knight stated. "You wondered off and got lost."_

"_Hey, I didn't get lost! That's the truth!" the boy hollered._

"_Tell it to the queen," the man stated._

_They all suddenly burst into laughter. _

"_Now let's go home," the adult stated._

"_One minute Dad," the lass said. She quickly jumped out of his arms and dashed towards to the field of flowers. Digging at the dirt surrounding one of the lilies, the girl pulled it up with a lump of dirt on the bottom and raced towards the two males waiting._

"_I want to bring one home with me, is that okay?" Mamoru asked._

"_Just keep it away from my mother's roses and I think that you'll be fine," Masahiko stated._

"_Come on you two, I don't want to lose my head because you two decided to wander off," the knight stated._

_They started back home, all that time Mamoru kept glancing at the prince close to her._

* * *

"All that time, Masahiko stayed right next to me, he could have left, but he stayed," the brunette lass finished.

"So did you get into trouble with your mom?" Alice asked.

"Don't worry!" the child explained. "I only got thumped twice when usually I got lost I get four. Although Dad got the usual four."

"Does your mom always hit you?" the foreigner asked.

"Just when I get lost," the girl answered. "Dad gets hit all the time."

"For getting lost?" the maiden in blue questioned.

"No just for being an idiot," Mamoru replied.

"I thought so," Alice stated.

The females giggled.

"So Tama, how come Prince Masahiko is you're 'Prince Charming?'" the foreigner asked.

"Well it all starts back to Roary," the noirette with ribbons started.

"Roary? You mean that stuff bear you have?" the maiden questioned.

"Yeah, well you see, Roary wasn't original mine. He used to Masahiko's bear," Tama answered.

"Wait," the sandy haired gal interrupted. "If Roary was Masahiko's bear how come he's yours now?"

"Well it all started one day when I was playing with a stuff toy my mom made for me back when I was just a baby," the pig-tailed girl began again.

* * *

"_Grr! Grr!" Tama growled, making a gray and white husky move back and forth. "Awooo!"_

"_Down Ammy down," the girl giggled at her stuffed canine. She threw her up into the air and caught her with ease. The child snuggled the dog, created by yarn knitted carefully together, close to her cheek and giggled a little. _

"_Well…well lookie here," a voice sneered. "That's a really nice toy."_

_Tama looked over her shoulder to see three faceless girls, all of them with a smirk for a mouth._

"_Thank you, my mommy made it for me!" the noirette smiled with pride._

"_Oh really. Then you won't mind if I take it for myself!" one with short brunette hair sniped. _

"_**NO!"**__ the girl with pigtails in ribbons called out. She squeezed the toy closer to her chest. __**"MY MOMMY MADE HER JUST FOR ME!"**__ She was too busy focusing on the girl in front of her that she failed to notice the faceless girl's friends walking up to her, like a wolf stalking its prey. _

_One of them pounced, grabbed the toy, and then dashed away. _

"_**HEY! COME BACK HERE!" **__Tama hollered. _

_She ran after the girl, but just as she caught up to the blonde, the golden haired girl threw the dog over the noirette's noggin and right into the palms of a red headed girl who dashed off._

_This continued on for quite some time. Every time Tama was close to her precious thing, it seemed to slip out of her grasp. Finally, it ended when the dog was supposed to end up in the brunette's hands ended up on in a bush. A few seconds later, it fell to the ground; a huge cut etched into the woolen coat of the dog. Its stuffing flowed out like blood. _

_Tama stood frozen at the sight._

"_**YOU IDIOT! YOU THREW IT TOO FAR AWAY!" **__The brunette hollered. _

"_Sorry!" the blonde squeaked. _

"_Let's get out of here, it was a piece of junk anyway," the chestnut-haired girl sighed and she stomped off, her friends following her._

_Tama slowly moved forward, still staring at the injured doll. She carefully lifted it to her chest, her cheek nuzzling the cheek of the husky's face, it still smiling despite the injury. Tears began to fall from the young girl's face._

_Crackling a twig, someone strolled up behind the girl._

_She didn't want to see those girls again, so she snuggled her head closer her beloved, wounded doll. "What do you want now?" the girl barked._

"_What's wrong Tama-chan?" a voice asked._

_Confused by high-pitched voice she turned to see the head of a toy bear looking at her from a hedge nearby._

"_Hi there Tama-chan!" the bear showed a paw waving it up and down. "What's wrong?"_

_The girl shifted herself. Feeling something grace her leg, her yellow eyes shifted on the unstuffed toy. Tears began to fall once more and she started to sob, once more._

"_I…I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry! Here look!" the toy cried._

_The bear started to flip up in the air, making whistles and hoots._

_Tama started to giggle at the sight, the toy started to go up higher and higher until when the toy seems to hit something and loud cry of pain and a thud._

_The girl dashed past the hedge to see a boy with violet on the ground, some little birds rapidly circling around his head. His foot was near a stone and the bear was near his hand._

"_Masahiko?" the lass asked._

_The violet eyes turned towards to voice seeing an upside down Tama until he stood up._

"_Hi there Tama…"_

"_What are you doing here?" the girl asked._

"_I was playing with Sissi but then I heard you crying so I decided to come over. Sorry I couldn't cheer you up…" the prince admitted._

"_It's okay; you did cheer me up a bit, thanks._

"_Tama thinks so…" the female stated. "She was the one who made her…"_

"_Then there is no problem!" the boy chirped. He forced the bear into the girl's arms._

"_Nii-Nii!" a little voice chirped out. _

"_Oops! Looks like Sissi is calling me," the boy stated. "See you soon." He dashed off into the forest, leaving the girl by herself with the bear._

_She stared at the fabric stuffed toy. It smiled at her slight frown. _

"_Well, you are pretty cute," Tama smiled. "Let's go home."_

_The lass walked into the door, a rancid smell hit her nose. _

"_UGH! Daddy's experimenting again!" the girl internally groaned and covered her nose and mouth. Both of the toys fell out of her arms. She picked them up, inhaled deeply, and let her cheeks puff out._

_She creped slowly all along the wall, when the girl found the doorway she was looking for. There was a person standing in front of a stove, a weird violet smoke seemed to be emitting form whatever was on the oven._

_There was the sound of a person entering the hallway by the footsteps getting louder. The little girl turned around to see a female shadow looking at the same figure. _

"_Mommy, I think something's dying in the kitchen," Tama stated._

"_Oh, your daddy is experimenting with recipes again," the shadow sighed. "Don't tell him I said that."_

"_I heard that!" the man in the gallery called out._

_The two females giggled until the older one noticed the canine's injury._

"_Tama-chan what happened to Ammy?" the black figure asked._

"_I was playing, and then some girls came and tried to take her away from me," the noirette explained. _

"_**WHAT?!"**__ her mother growled. She shrugged up a sleeve, "Let me at them!" she grinned widely._

"_You can't," the girl responded. "They ran off after Snowy got caught on a thorn bush."_

"_Shoot! We'll get them next time!" the older female giggled. She then noticed the bear._

"_Tama-chan, what's that?" she asked. _

"_Oh, Masahiko gave this to Tama after he found out about Ammy," Tama responded._

"_Any reason why?" her mother questioned._

"_I don't know. I never got to ask," the child answered._

"_Oh," the woman put her hand to her mouth, "Dear, Tama-chan just got a gift from a boy!"_

_There was a clatter in the kitchen, __**"WHAT?!"**_

"_Don't worry about it, Dear, it's nothing!"_

"_Mommy why do tease Daddy when it comes to boys?"_

"_Just preparing him for the future, Tama-chan. Don't worry your little head about it."_

_The girl titled her head, confused for a second and decided to forget it. She lifted the dog closer to the shadow. "Do you think that you could fix her?"_

"_Well, I think that I might be busy. It is the busy season for me…" the adult started. "Don't worry; I'll try to squeeze her in somewhere while when I have a break."_

"_Thank you Mommy!" the little girl squealed, hugging the figure._

"_It's time for dinner so go wash up, okay?" the woman requested._

"_Okay Mommy!" the lass agreed. She then dashed off but then totted back to the dark figure._

"_Um Mommy, is that our dinner?" she asked, her finger pointing at the purple smoke._

"_Don't worry, I'll whip up something edible," her mother stated._

_Hours later, after dinnertime, bath time, and a bed time story, and a good night kiss, Tama's golden eyes remained wide open. _

"_What's wrong? I usually am asleep by now…" she pondered aloud. The girl tried shifting to one side then the other but sleep seemed to be late for the noirette child._

_Subconsciously, the lass hugged her body. All of sudden, she felt lonely._

"_Ammy…" Tama mumbled. She flipped over and noticed the bear sitting on the bedside table. The girl grabbed a paw and held the teddy close to her chest._

"_I'm sure that Masahiko won't mind if I snuggle with his bear. After all, he did give it to me," the child mumbled._

_The lass held the toy tighter and in a few minutes, she drifted off._

_For the next few days, it became natural for the girl to reach for the amigurumi* when she had to go to sleep. It also became normal for the girl to carry the toy around with her from time to time. _

"_Here you go, Tama-chan, good as new," the dark woman stated. In her dark hands, the puppy appeared as if it had never been hurt._

"_Ammy! Thank you Mommy!" the girl squealed and jumped up into the shadow's embrace, wrapping her arms around the adult's neck._

_Tama let go of her mother, gripping the dog she dashed to her room. She set the canine it her rightful place, on her bed. It was at that moment she noticed the bear sitting right next to Snowy. _

"_I guess that means you're going home soon…" the girl sighed. She gently stroked the top of the toy's head. She then got an idea, dashing towards a small cabinet. Pulling out one of the drawers, she stared at the different ribbons she would wear in her hair in pigtails. A fine piece of red fabric caught the yellow eyes of the child. She picked it up and strolled over to the bear, wrapping the trimming around its neck into a bow._

_The noirette beamed at the bear and then took into her arms. Then she raced off, heading down the stairs. She was about to leave out the door, when someone called her name._

"_Tama-chan, where are you going?" Her mother asked._

"_I'm going to see Masahiko, I have to return his bear to him," the girl responded._

"_Oh," the woman stated. She turned her head and hollered, __**"OI! DEAR! OUR LITTLE TAMA-CHAN IS GOING OUT TO SEE A BOY! YOU MIGHT WANT TO SAY GOODBYE TO HER BEFORE YOU HAVE TO GIVE HER AWAY!" **_

"_**WHAT!?" **__a voice called out. With the blink of an eye, the lizard Roleholder appeared panting. _

"_Where are you going?" He asked._

"_I'm going to see Masahiko," the child replied, completely unaware of what the fuss was about._

"_You are…" the man gasped. For a minute, a look of horror etched on his face._

"_Don't worry, Daddy, I won't get lost. I'll be fine," Tama smiled. "Tama is not a baby anymore, Tama is a big girl."_

"_But you're my baby…" Gray grumbled._

_The little girl scrambled over to the man. "Don't worry Daddy. I'll be back soon," she assured. She wrapped her free arm around his leg and squeezed herself closer to it. She then let herself go and ran back to the door._

"_Bye! See you both soon!" the girl hollered from the doorway and then walked out._

_Tama got her destination, the Castle of Hearts; a maid in a dark dress escorted her. _

_The two stopped at a wooden door, where the older female knocked._

"_Your highness, you have a guest," she stated. _

_The door opened, the prince standing in the way. The girl hid the bear behind her back, for the element of surprised, but something surprised her. For some reason…she seemed to have lost her courage._

"_Thank you ma'am, that will be all," Masahiko stated._

_The maid bowed and left the two children alone. _

"_Hey there Tama, what are you doing here?" the boy asked._

_The lad stared at the girl, noticing the blush on her cheeks. "What's wrong?" he inquired._

"_What's wrong with me?" the little girl pondered. "I'm just giving him back his bear…why do I feel so nervous?"_

"_Um…Tama?" the prince stated. _

_The sound of her name made her snap back into reality. "Masahiko!"_

"_You seem really nervous…what's wrong?" the boy asked._

"_Um…well…you…see…"_

_The prince made a little fist and let it fall into his other hand, "I know you're here to confess your love to me, right?"_

_The lass's face turned bright apple red, "T...That's not it at all!" She stuttered._

_Tama suddenly gulped and swung the bear in front of her. "Here!" she exclaimed. _

"_Oh, you brought back my bear, thank you," the lad commented. He took the toy into his grasp._

"_N..n…No! Thank you for letting have it while Ammy got fixed. It really helped me!" the girl responded. _

"_Helped you?" Masahiko repeated._

"_Yeah, well I had some trouble sleeping without Ammy so I used your bear," Tama explained. "I hope you don't mind."_

_The boy stared at the bear in his hands, his violet eyes bouncing from the plushie to the girl in front of him and then back again. _

_The prince then turned the doll towards the dark haired child. "Here, you can have him," he offered._

"_What!?" the girl exclaimed. "But it's your bear…I can't just take it!"_

"_Don't worry about it, I have plenty of stuff bears so you don't have to worry, besides you seem to like this bear more than I do, I mean you did give him a ribbon," the boy said._

"_I just thought, it would look cuter with a bow…" the lass mumbled._

"_See you like him, take good care of Roary for me okay?" the prince requested._

"_Roary?" repeated the young lady. _

"_Oh that's his name, but you could change it if you want," Masahiko stated._

"_No, I like that name," Tama expressed. She looked at the bear and snuggled close to it. "Roary.."_

* * *

"That's the day, I got Roary from Masahiko," the noirette recited, "and that's the day I fell in love with him."

"Well, looks like it's like my turn to shine," the pink kitten announced.

"About time," Akahana snorted.

"Hey, you can't talk yet! You haven't even gone yet!" the cub accused.

"I'm saving the best for last," the noirette explained.

"Hey, Onee-sama said no judging!" Tama stated.

"That's right!" the red Tweedle agreed.

"Yeah!" the blue Tweedle complied.

"Enough! The queen hollered. "We demand silence!"

What her majesty wanted, she got.

"Now continue with your tale, child," Vivaldi stated.

"Well it all started one day when Pop and me visited the castle…" Tora started. "Well, I guess 'visit' isn't the right word for it…"

* * *

"_Pop! You know we shouldn't be here without permission!" the little cub cried out, staring up at her father on top of a green square hedge._

"_Don't worry, don't worry," the Roleholder assured. "We'll be in and out in a few minutes."_

"_Alright" the child agreed," but you get all beat and we go home, and Ma nags at you for getting hurt and Go-oji* yells at you for making a mess, don't say Tora didn't warn you."_

"_Kid, you are definitely are your mom's daughter, you both like to nag," the tomcat commented. _

_He stretched out his hand, offering it to the girl. Although she was quite a few feet from his fingers, she was able to jump up high enough to catch the hand inside her own. He pulled her up and set her next to her. _

"_I'm just trying to avoid an earful later for both us," the kitten stated. _

"_Well, I better not get hurt then," the male stated. "And on that note, we better start running."_

_The Cheshire Cat quickly jumped off the hedge, the cub soon followed. She scrambled after him, but she couldn't keep up, he seemed to have vanished around the corner of the tall bushes._

_Tora glanced around the corner of the shrubs, backing slightly when two men with hearts on their chests dashed in front of her. When they passed into another leafy corridor, the girl sighed._

"_Great!" the kitten mumbled. "I lost Pop and probably lost myself…"_

_She strolled around, glancing at all the paths the castle's labyrinth had to offer. So many halls, so many ways to get lost. _

"_Pop! Where are you?" the cub called._

_No one seemed to respond to the girl's yell. She continued to peek down the plant corridors, searching for a spec of pink in the green and red. The cub strolled aimlessly until something collided with her and caused her to fall on his bottom._

"_**OW!"**__ she exclaimed._

"_Oh sorry!" a voice apologized._

_The kitten opened one of her sunshine yellow eyes to see a boy with plum purple hair, on the ground in front of her, in the same position._

"_Hey Masahiko, what are you doing here?" Tora questioned._

"_I was just trying to get some roses for my mother," the prince responded. "She caught a bad cold recently."_

"_That's sad, hope she gets better soon," the kitten stated._

"_Me too, we've nearly lost twelve maids' heads so far," the boy agreed._

_The chuckled until Masahiko asked, "So what are you doing here?"_

_Tora flinched and gulped. "Well I came here with my pop, but unfortunately, I seem to have lost him…" she giggled nervously._

"_Oh I see…you got separated from your father after you two snuck in," Masahiko stated._

"_Wait, my pop is the one who snuck in, I just followed him to try to reason with him to leave," the pink kitten explained._

"_Want me to help you find your father?" the prince asked._

"_Sure!" Tora agreed._

"_Okay!" the lad stated. He took a large breathe, __**"HEY MISTER…"**_

_The cub quickly covered his mouth. "Don't do that! My pop will get in trouble!"_

"_Well looks like we'll just have to go on foot and look around," the boy stated._

_The two then started on their journey to find the Cheshire Cat._

_Five seconds later, she complained, __**"I'M BORED!"**_

"_**WHAT!? WE JUST GOT STARTED!" **__the prince hollered._

"_I can't help it!" the girl stated. "I'm a cat!"_

"_Well, how about this, we'll make a game out of it!" the boy suggested._

"_A game?" Tora asked._

"_Yep, the person who finds and collects the most roses and brings them to this spot in the next few minutes will be the winner," the boy explained._

"_How will we know to meet them right here and what time?" the girl questioned._

"_Well for the time…we'll just limit it to the bushes," the prince expanded. "We only take roses from the hedges from around here. You take roses from the left side of this spot and I'll take roses from the right. For the place…" the lad stopped for a moment and then his eyes light up with an idea. He took the crown of his head and set it on the ground. "This will mark the spot. You place your roses on the left and I'll place my roses to the right."_

"_Well, that makes sense," the girl stated._

"_Alright! Let's get started!" Masahiko cheered. __**"ON YOUR MARK…GET SET…GO!" **_

_The two then dashed off in different directions._

_After a few minutes, Tora started on her last bush. As she picked roses in her usual reached she noticed quite a few roses near the top. _

"_If I could get those flowers, I will definitely win!" she thought._

_The kitten set down the red buds in her hands and started to climb on the hedge. She carefully placed her hands so that no thorn could get at her palms. _

"_**OW!" **__she hollered. Well, it worked most of the time._

_Tora carefully looked at her paw, a little thorn right in the center of her fingerless black glove. She gently continued her journey up and then reached the roses. She picked and gently tossed the roses down to the rest of the flowers on the ground, and using her instincts to land on her feet._

_The kitten then gathered the flowers in her hands and strolled to the meeting spot, ignoring the pain in her hand. _

"_Looks like I've won!" the girl boasted._

"_Aw shucks!" the prince yelled in pretend dissatisfaction. _

"_Thanks for making up the game! It was fun!" Tora cheered._

"_I had fun too, maybe we could it again sometime," Masahiko stated._

_The two raised their arms and slammed each other in agreement, but the girl flinched back and made a slight yelp._

"_Are you okay?" the prince asked._

"_Yeah, it's just a scratch. Don't worry," the kitten answered, slight pain evident in her voice._

"_Come on let me see," the boy pleaded. He offered his hand to her._

_The cub set her injured paw inside the palm in front of her, it was then she noticed a dark puddle in the middle of her glove, surrounding a thorn that stuck to her._

"_I'm sorry," the boy mumbled._

"_Why are you apologizing? I'm the one who wasn't paying attention," the girl remarked._

"_But I was the one who thought up this game, I should have realized that there was a chance that thorns might get to you," the prince explained. _

_From the look in his eyes, all you would have to imagine was some small dogs ears, bent down, to see how sorry he was._

_The pink kitten couldn't help but blush, usually when she got hurt people would warn to be more careful, not apologize and blame themselves._

"_It's okay…" she managed to say._

"_Here let me try to take it out," he stated._

"_I don't know, my ma is usually the one you treats this kind of stuff at my house, and it still hurts when she takes out thorns," Tora said reluctantly._

"_Don't worry, my little sister gets pricked by thorns all the time, I'm used to it," Masahiko assured._

_The boy gently pinched the barb and started gently wiggling it out. A slight yelp could be heard when it came out._

"_Sorry!" the lad squeaked._

"_It's okay," the kitten comforted._

"_Oh wait one second please?" the prince requested._

_For a minute, Masahiko messed around in his pocket and pulled out an oval object. He seemed to have pulled something off the other side._

"_Can you take of your glove off please?" he asked._

_Tora did as she was asked, revealing a light purple bruise on her fist._

_The lad stuck the item on her hand, covering most of the injury._

"_Like I said, my little sister gets pricked by thorns all the time," the boy chuckled._

_For a minute, all she could do keep staring at the boy, occasionally glancing at the bandage._

"_**TORA!" **__a male voice called out._

"_Oh that must be your father," the lad stated. _

_The prince picked up his crown, slipping it right on his head, and gathered as many roses as he could in his small hands._

"_Wait! Don't you need some help with those?" The pink cub cried out._

"_I'll send some servants to get the rest," Masahiko stated. "Besides, you help enough, thank you for everything and I'm still sorry about your hand."_

"_Oh don't worry about it," Tora cheered then added in a lower voice "and you're welcome."_

_The prince tipped his head and strolled away. _

"_Come on Tora, time to go home," the Cheshire Cat called out._

_The kitten continued to stare at the empty space where the boy once stood._

"_Hey Tora, come on, before your mom nags at me for letting you stay out late," the male coaxed._

_The cub's cherry ears twitched and her sunshine eyes blinked. She turned around and finally noticed the man standing behind her._

"_Ah! Coming Pop!" she yelled. The girl dashed over to the male, quickly glancing over her shoulder, as she set off for home._

* * *

"Masahiko was really kind to me that day," Tora continued. "I couldn't forget about it and still can't."

"Now it's Hana-chan's turn!" Natsuki decreed.

"What?" the noirette asked.

"Well you did say you were saving the best for last?" Tama required.

"Yeah, Hana-chan tell us!" the red Tweedle hollered.

"Tell us, tell us!" the other Tweedle chanted.

"Hey, lay off Akahana! It's not easy to say stuff like this!" growled Amai.

"Don't worry Amai-chan," the noirette stated, "I'm okay with telling everyone, it's just…well…"

"Oh yeah! You two always fought a lot, didn't you?" Takara stated.

"You and Masahiko fought?" the outsider questioned.

"Well he mostly just teased me a lot and it got me mad," Akahana answered. She left out a huff, "Akahana just thought he was just another annoying boy."

"Well what changed your mind?" the queen inquired.

"It started one day, during the last month of school before summer vacation," the capped girl started.

* * *

"_Come on Akahana, hurry up!" Masahiko called out, his hand next to mouth, working as a megaphone._

"_Don't worry, I'm coming," Akahana replied._

_Strolling down the little courtyard, the lass's sea colored eyes flowed from flower to flower. Every spring, children from different schools and different classes would plant flowers. It was supposed to help the different territories get along better but most people forgot this fact and just took care of the flowers. _

"_Come on Akahana! Hurry up!" the purple haired child cried out._

_The girl adjusted the black cap on top of her head. Even when school had been out for the "summer", since they were in the Country of Hearts, every day had been the same temperature, but since nature and the calendar, just like the clocks and the sky, tend to disagree in Wonderland, it was summer just because it said, not because it was apparent. _

"_Akahana will be there soon," the noirette yelled back, "so if the flowers are tapping their roots for her, then tell them they will just have to wait a little while longer." She squatted down and leaned forward, her nose touching a daisy right in its yellow center._

_Shaking his head, the boy rolled his eyes with a wide smile on his face. Those violet orbs bounced from the bed of flowers that had yet to show their colorful faces. He then snapped his fingers and turned his back to the girl._

"_Well, even if plants could do that, I don't think ours can do it," the prince remarked nonchalantly. _

"_Why so?" the mafia child asked._

"_Because…they are all brown, shriveled up, and dead," Masahiko stated bluntly._

"_**WHAT?!" **__Akahana cried. A fog of dust followed her as she scrambled to the flowers. _

_The girl violently shook her head, glancing all over the bed. Every plant had green leaves and a colored flower to make an appearance in the garden._

"_**MASAHIKO!" **__she hollered. __**"YOU TRICKED ME!"**_

"_Well, I had to!" the boy stated, shrugging his shoulders. "If I let you, you'd be out here all day and we never get to go home! Besides, do you want to get stung or bit by another bug again?"_

_The girl's little hand clamped over her nose. She mumbled, "Can we not bring that up? My nose still hurts from that time." _

_The prince chuckled, "Alright. Why don't we take care of these flowers before they really shrivel up?"_

_The noirette agreed, "Let's start."_

_Wiping her brow, Akahana admired her hard work. Thanks to the plant's thirst, the ground had grown slightly darker. A stone sat in between every few plants, the bottom side slight darker and damp._

"_Looks like they'll be okay for another few days," the girl stated. "Hey do you remember what we planted?"_

_Masahiko crossed his arms, his face blank as he searched his crowded mind. _

_After a few minutes, he puffed out his chest and stated proudly, __**"CABBAGE!"**_

"_**THIS A FLOWER BED! NOT A VEGETABLE BED!" **__the mafia's daughter scolded._

"_Then how about tomatoes?" the prince suggested._

"_Enough with the vegetables!" the lass sighed._

"_I thought tomatoes were a fruit," the lad pondered. _

"_Well, they are…but…I was asking what kind of __**flowers **__did we plant?" Akahana asked in an aggravated tone._

"_What? You don't remember?" the boy asked. _

"_That's why I asked you," the noirette commented._

"_Well does it matter? I mean I think its fun just to watch and help them grow," the youngster stated._

_The girl agreed, "You are right, it will great when they finally bloom, especially at night."_

"_Why night?" Masahiko asked._

"_Don't you think it would be romantic to have a festival at school at night? Dancing amongst the flowers?" Akahana inquired._

_The dark haired child mind then wondered back to late nights where she would sneak out with her siblings. They crept up to the rose garden, mostly to stay up later than their mother dictated. Quite a few times, they would catch their parents talking or dancing around the garden, their private ballroom when only two people would occupy the small sanctuary made by the Mafioso. While the small males would gawk and gag, the girls would gaze and sigh._

"_Night's nice, but I think I prefer evening to night," the prince commented. _

"_Why?" the Mafioso's child questioned._

"_Well the sky looks really nice with all those different colors and the clouds even change to cool colors too," the boy stated. "When its night, it's dark out, it's just black all over."_

"_That's not true, there are lots of stars out and there's moon light," the girl countered._

"_Well, the moon is nice, but it's nothing compared to the sun when it starts to turn orange when it sets," the lad hindered. "When I look at stars, all I want to do is connect the dots."_

"_Masahiko you are such a meanie!" the lass huffed._

"_And you are a day dreamer," the violet haired boy grinned._

_The two then stuck their tongues out at each other, accompanied by some sounds. The muscles retracted when water fell on them. Glancing up at the sky, the children noticed how dark it had become. The longer they looked at the clouds, the more moist their clothes and hair seemed to get. _

"_Looks like we didn't need to water the flowers today at all," the prince chuckled._

"_Well, they hadn't been watered in a while, so we had to check," the mafia girl stated._

"_Yes," the boy agreed, "and now we need to go home before we become drowned rats."_

_The lad started to dash off, "See you later! Keep your head out of the clouds! You will get all wet!"_

_The little girl stuck her tongue out once more. When a bolt of lightning scolded her, she shrieked and dashed back home._

"_MOU~! MASAHIKO IS SO MEAN!" Akahana hollered. Her yell stopped when a towel fell on her head. _

"_You say that all the time dear," a dark figure, giggled, its dark hands rubbing the fabric all over her dark locks._

"_But it's true Mother! He's always teasing me!" the girl whined._

"_Your father teases me all the time, you don't hear me complain," the woman stated. She lifted the cloth and set to the side. Lifting a brush, she began to try to tame the wild dark curls. "I tease him all the time too." After a few strokes, the shadow sighed and crossed her arms. "God! You definitely got your father's untamable bed head."_

"_You two are different, you're married and in love. Me and him are just cousins," the child sighed._

"_Well maybe he just likes you," her mother stated._

"_Oh Mother! That's just an old wives' tale!" the girl moaned. "Rather fitting actually coming from you."_

"_Just what are you implying?" the dark figure huffed. _

"_Nothing Mother," the child dully stated, eyes the color of the sky rolled over._

_After putting the girl in a long red nightgown with long sleeves slipped over her daughter's head and all of the night black mane hidden beneath a light pink sleeping cap with a red ribbon and lace, the woman stated, "Time for bed."_

_Scurrying to the sheets, the lass snuggled against a little stuff fox waiting for her._

"_Good night, Mother," Akahana yawned._

"_Sleep tight, my little bloom," the woman cooed and gently kissed her forehead._

_A flash of lightning with its louder brother broke up the scene._

"_Where is Father?" the child asked. _

"_I think he is wrapping up some of the new roses he just planted. He should be inside soon, don't worry," the lady assured._

_The lights soon went out, leaving the noirette with her thoughts._

"_I hope Father's roses will be okay…" she pondered. Then her mind flashed from red buds on bushes to violet ones on small plants. "I hope those flowers are alright too…"_

_Worry started to eat at her mind, a bolt of light suddenly flickered. The lass saw leaves and sticks flew, carried by the harsh wind. _

"_Well, I'm sure no one would mind if I just checked on the flowers a little," the girl reasoned. She adjusted the pillow so some of it lay under her sheets. With a tug, the cap came off the kid's head and she put the showing part of the cushion. _

_She then slipped on some shoes and a coat and quickly scrambled out._

_How she got out without anyone noticing will always remain a mystery._

_The cold wind seemed to want to carry the noirette. She barely could walk in a straight line. The child reached the courtyard, where the storm seemed strongest. Her aquamarine eyes widen at the sight._

_There was a brown hooded mass, trying to pin some kind of gray sheet. The girl toddled closer to the figure, but a sudden gust of wind made her stumble and crumble to the ground._

"_Akahana are you okay?" the mass asked._

_The mafia girl looked up to see a pair of purple eyes with similar shaded bangs._

"_Masahiko! What are you doing here?" the young lady asked._

"_I came out here to protect the flowers," the young man answered. "Why are you out here?"_

"_I was going to check on the flowers," Akahana stated. "We shouldn't be out here."_

"_If you knew that then why are you out here?" Masahiko questioned._

"_I just going to check and go back home before anyone noticed I was gone," the mafia girl affirmed._

"_Well, I'm staying until the storm passes, I want to protect these flowers," the prince countered._

_Strolling back down the path, the noirette declared, "Well, I'm leaving."_

"_Okay," the violet boy said, nonchalantly, as he set another rock on the gray sheet._

"_You'll catch a cold," the girl called over her shoulder._

"_You're probably right," the boy agreed. _

"_You are going to get in trouble for staying out here," the lass stated._

"_So are you for just being out here," the lad remarked._

_Akahana sighed, "Why are you so stubborn?"_

"_Because these are our flowers," the prince announced boldly._

"_What?" She asked._

_The storm wind seemed to have died down, wanting the boy to say his speech. It continued to pour furiously and shot of lightening rang out. _

_Masahiko looked back at the sheet. "We planted these plants from seeds, we took care of them, and we separated the weaker seedlings from the others to give all a chance to grow. We protected them from bugs and weeds. We put all we could into these flowers and I won't let these flowers get blown away. There are precious memories in these flowers. You always cared the most about these flowers, always the first one here, always checking the stones to see if they needed water, bringing your father's fertilizer to help them grow, you always loved these flowers practically as much as the roses that our family loves so much. Since you care so much about these flowers, I'm going to these protect these flowers no matter what, so that your hard work and love doesn't go to waste."_

_The girl thought back to those times to all those times they spent at the flowers, wonderful times all of them…with one notable exception._

"_Is the time you sprayed with the garden hose also one of those 'precious' memories?" the mafia's girl asked harshly._

"_Come on Akahana, that was an accident and it was __**pretty **__funny," the prince chuckled._

"_How about the next time, __**five minutes after words**__?" the girl asked, her tone filled with fury._

"_Now I know how my father feels when mother gets mad at him…" the boy stated. "That was just in fun, I apologized then too."_

_The wind started to roar once more. The two children hunkered down to remain stationary. _

"_I'm leaving now," she stated and started to stomp away._

"_Be careful," he called over a gust of wind. _

_The girl continued to trudge through the rain and wind. All she could think about was what about the boy said. About those memories, he talked about, the time they spent together. She sighed and stumbled back to the flowerbed. Her blue eyes blinked as the boy struggled to keep the sheet down but with four sides, two hands were not enough. _

_A side slipped from under some rocks and drifted with the wind. The noirette dashed over to the sheet and jumped, catching it in her small fists. Quickly slamming in to the ground, she sat on the fabric. The lass found herself staring right into his amethyst eyes._

"_Well, if I'm going to get in trouble, it might as well be worth it," Akahana smiled. "Need anything else?"_

_It seemed to go on forever, the waging wind, the blistering rain, the roaring thunder. The two kids spent for minutes, for hours sitting on the sheet. Every so often, one would leave for a few minutes to gather some stones and try to place them on the corners. Sometimes the stones would roll away with the wind or the breeze would bring up the sheets in the air, throwing the rocks away. Yet, somewhere in the night, the storm had passed. _

"_Did you hear that?" The boy asked._

"_What? I don't hear anything," the lass stated._

"_Exactly, think the storm is over," the lad agreed._

_The rain was now only a few drops falling out of a gray dishrag out of the sky. The breeze blew only every few minutes. _

"_Let's go check the flowers," the prince stated. _

_The kids grabbed the fabric, shaking the stones off. Flinging the sheet to the side, the children spotted that all the plants had a clover shaped flower with a small yellow circle, surrounded by some black smudges, ending with a purple outline._

"_So the flowers were pansies. Mystery solved," the girl smiled._

_Masahiko nodded and then glanced up at the sky._

"_Hey Akahana take a look," he requested. _

_Glancing at the boy, the noirette noticed the direction the boy was looking. Her sky blue eyes then looked up to the dark sky._

_Thousands of stars seemed to have come out to celebrate the end of the storm. They clustered around each other. Silver seemed to be the dress code but there were the occasional blue and reds, all of them swirling around in a black ballroom. _

"_Wow!" the girl gasped her breath stolen in that instant._

_You know what, Akahana?" Masahiko asked. _

_The noirette drew her gaze from the sky to the boy right next to her on the ground._

"_I'm starting to see what you like the night sky, it's a lot nicer than I thought._

_The lass continued to behold the lad, "Yeah, nicer than I thought," the words rolled off her tongue without much thought, her cheeks the color of her father's roses._

_Constantly, a cycle went underneath the dark locks of the girl. The words that prince stated, while defending the flowers from the wind and rain, seemed to go away and come back in a few second intervals. _

_Scooting over, inch by inch, the girl skidded from her side of the flowerbed, towards the prince. When she was another scoot away, she tilted her head, resting in it on the boy's shoulder._

"_What are you doing?" Masahiko questioned._

"_Just looking at the stars," Akahana sighed. Her marine eyes gazed up at the lustrous stars._

"_Why are you on my shoulders?"_

"_No reason."_

"_Is your neck sore or something?"_

"_No."_

"_Then… why am I your cushion?"_

"_Maybe because I want to be close to you."_

_He sighed, "You are acting odd, you know that?"_

"_I thought I was a romantic," she giggled._

_The boy pushed the noirette locks off his shoulders and stood up, "We can't stay here forever, our parents are probably found out we snuck out by now."_

"_Can't we stay here, just a little longer," the lass whined, batting her eyes._

"_No, if I don't get back home soon, Mother will have my head." _

"_I guess you're right," the girl sighed and got up. _

_The two started to stroll out of the courtyard, the sun then decided to peak out from the horizon, its hair scattered the stars, most of the night sky turned into an aurora of pinks, oranges, and reds._

_Akahana looked at the sky now, admiring the colors that fused and abstracted each other. _

"_You know what, Masahiko?"_

"_What?"_

"_I think that I like sunsets better too…" the girl smiled._

* * *

"The pansy, in the language of flowers, means thoughts, especially of a love one, and ever since that day, I've always thought of Masahiko as the one I love," Akahana finished, a blush on her cheeks.

"Well, I guess that wraps things up, but I just have one question," Alice stated.

"What's that Onee-chan?" Natsuki questioned.

"Which one of you does Masahiko like the best?" the foreigner inquired.

"_**OBIVIOUSLY ME!" **_

All of the girls glared at each other.

"What are you talking about? It's obvious that he loves Tora the most," the kitten boasted.

"No it's not, he loves Aoi the most," the little bluenette whined.

"No way, it's Natsuki he loves the best!" the rabbit hollered.

"Come on!" the capped noirette eased into the conversation, "it's clear as day that Masahiko loves Akahana the most." Her hand slid under dark locks and then flicked them into the air.

"Just because you two are cousins doesn't mean he loves you the most," the braided flame red girl mumbled.

The queen almost choked on her tea and dropped her cup. She patted her chest and took several deep breaths.

The foreigner asked, "Are you okay, Vivaldi?"

"Yes, we are fine," the violet haired woman assured and turned her attention to the ginger haired girl. "How do you know…"

"Oh well, everyone knows about you and Blood-Onii-san," Utako stated. "At least all the Roleholders do."

"So you know about them being siblings?" Aoi asked.

"I really only learned recently," Alice said, "So, how come you girls know?"

"Well, you see …Most of the Roleholders found out on my parents' wedding day," Akahana started. "Father was getting some of those pre-wedding jitters, so Vivaldi-aneue went into his groom's suite to try to calm him down, so she shooed out Elliot-aniue, Dee-aniue, and Dum-aniue out of the room. The three got suspicious, so they tried to listen in on their conversation. The other Roleholders got interested and tried hear what they were saying. When Father was talking to Vivaldi, he called her Aneki, and Elliot-aniue got so surprised that he accidently opened the door. Then that's when everyone tumbled into the room and then…they found out."

"So what happened after that?" Alice asked.

"The Bed or Couch Act got passed," the braided girl informed.

"The what and what act?"

"Yeah, our Okaa-sans made this up. As long as they didn't take advantage of the fact that Blood and Aneue were siblings then they could sleep in the bed, if they did they would be forced to sleep on the couch forever until all the kids are in college, whatever comes first," Utako illustrated.

"Does that actually work?" the foreigner pondered.

Yumeko scrambled over to the foreigner and the squatted on her lap. "Onee-sama, don't you know? The man maybe the head of the family but his wife is the neck, and the neck moves the head in any way it wants." She put her little hands on the maiden's neck and shifted it around, causing her head to follow.

"Who said that?"

"My Okaa-sama."

"No wonder."

As the ladies giggled, another voice called out.

"My aunt has a saying just like that 'A man may rule a kingdom, but by law and nature, his wife rules him."

Everyone twisted their neck to see the prince with a broad smile on his face.

"_**MASAHIKO!"**_

Within a blink of an eye, the girls engulfed the boy in their stampede, ambushing him with questions.

"Masahiko, which one of us do you love the most?" Tama asked.

"You love Natsuki the most, right?"

"No you love Midori the most!"

"Come on girls, everyone knows Akahana is the one Masahiko adores!"

"Don't start that up again!"

"Umm Masahiko? Which one of us do you like the most?" Aoi asked.

"That's easy! She's the most beautiful, loveliest, absolutely most wonderful woman in all of Wonderland."

"Oh Masahiko stop it! You're making me blush!" the little rabbit happily cried.

"Hey he was talking about me!" Akahana scolded, throwing some of her hair back with the back of her hand.

"Nope! He was talking about me!" Utako yelled.

"He could have been talking about me," Amai countered.

"Ha! He was talking about me!" The little kitten roared with pride.

"No me!" the little mouse interjected.

"It was me!" Tama yelled.

"Me!" Fumiko hollered.

"Me!" the red Tweedle disagreed.

"I think he was talking about me…" Aoi stated.

"I'm sorry Aoi-chan. I love you like a sister, but Masahiko was talking about me!" Mamoru announced.

"Sorry, but I'm the girl he's talking about is me!" Tama claimed.

"Nope, it's me!" Yumeko exclaimed.

Sparks flew as the girls glared at each other. Soon enough, all the girls pounced at each other. A gray cloud appeared, covering most of the mini-war, occasionally a head, tail, or an animal ear would poke out.

Heading towards the sitting monarch, Masahiko strolled easily past the fight, leaping right into the woman's lap. "And that woman is Mother!" he put his arms around her neck and snuggled close to her cheek.

"What a wonderful boy!" Vivaldi squealed and eagerly returned his embrace.

The battle ended with all of the rivals sighing, a few mutters of "Mama's boy" accompanied by some thumps and groans released themselves.

"Alright who do you love the next?" the white rabbit asked.

"My father."

"Next?"

"My siblings, especially my big brother."

"Why him?" Alice questioned.

"He's got great ways of annoying girls."

"Don't remind us…" Tora groaned.

Akahana cut in, "Masahiko, what we really asking here is…**which one of **_**us **_**do you love the most?**"

"Oh, that's easy too!" the prince replied.

"_**WHO? WHO?"**_

"I don't know."

Chins lowers and eyes widened in disbelief.

"_**WHAT?!"**_

"I love all of you, but I can't pick my favorite," Masahiko answered.

"Then how about you pick me!" Natsuki cried.

"_**NATSUKI!" **_

"What? You guys were probably thinking the same thing!" the rabbit accused.

The rest of the children grimaced and sighed.

"Well, you were right there…" her red headed friend agreed.

The boy jumped off the queen's lap and dashed off.

"_**MASAHIKO!"**_

The prince stopped in his tracks, just as he departed behind a hedge wall.

"Give me time to think about it, okay? Just leave me alone please."

Silent but all the sound of the steps of the boy, a dark cloud seemed to descend on the young females.

"He hates us…" Midori stated.

"_**WHAT?! HE DOES NOT!"**_ the foreigner exclaimed.

"Then why did he leave us?" the mouse child asked. "We were mean to him and tried to pry into his feeling and now he doesn't like us."

"She's right, the little feline agreed. "We shouldn't have asked something that personal."

All the girls around them nodded.

Alice crouched down and rubbed the bubbles of water near the corners of the two girls' eyes. "Don't worry, he doesn't hate you. How about I go talk to him?"

She turned to the queen, "Vivaldi, can you look after the girls for a while?

"It would be our pleasure," the monarch grinned.

* * *

"I said I would go find out, but I think I bit off more than I could chew."

Alice turned another corner, scanning the outdoor corridor for something violet amongst the emerald leaves and ruby blooms.

"Maybe he went into the castle," she muttered to herself.

As the maiden strolled down the path that she was sure head to the palace, one could never tell in the maze, when the foreigner potted a cushion of amethyst on an ivory bench. She dashed over to find a boy attached, starring up at the sky's scarlet, titan, and cherry streaks in its hair.

"Hey there Masahiko," the female greeted.

The boy barely batted an eyelash.

Alice stood at the end of the bench, her marine eyes aligned with his forehead. "What are you thinking about?"

"How pretty the colors of the sunset are, that all roses should be red, how come sour cream cake doesn't taste sour, and trying to figure out which girl I love the most," he looked up at the girl, "All at the same time."

"Talk about multitasking," the maiden commented.

"The wives I know call it survival," the prince commented.

The foreigner moved and placed herself at the end of the boy's boots.

"Aneue-sama, can I ask you a question?"

"Ask away."

Masahiko sat on his legs, his little hands curled up on knees. He stared at the woman about the most important question in all of his ten years.

"How do you know when you are in love?" he asked boldly.

Alice couldn't help it, that serious look on his face. Right away, she gave him this answer, "When all those mushy poems and cheesy love songs make you sigh instead of gag, according to one of my friends." She burst into laughter right after that.

The prince pouted, _**"ANEUE-SAMA I WAS SERIOUS!"**_

"Masahiko you are way too young to think about that, back when I was your age, all the boys _my _age only cared about toys, sports, and picking on girls," the female stated.

"Oh I think about that stuff too," the boy answered. "But I need to know what love is like now."

"Trust me Masahiko, you will know what's its like," the maiden started. "You won't be able to breathe, you feel hot, your chest will ache at first, you might be so nervous you can barely even talk to them. But it's not a completely bad feeling, it makes you warm and comfortable it makes you happy to be around someone and it makes want to be happy too. Yet, when someone breaks your heart, it feels like everything in the world has gone cold. Trust me, when you fall in love you will know it."

"Have you ever been in love, Aneue-sama?" the prince innocently inquired.

The outsider replied sadly, "Once…before I came here."

"Did you feel the same way, just like you described?"

"Yes…I did…"

"What happened?"

Alice started, "Well, he fell in love with someone else…so he…"

When images of that person, from first greetings to final farewells flashed before her eyes, Alice could feel her marine eyes water. She rubbed them and cursed herself.

"_Damn! When did I get so weak? I thought…I was over it…but…"_

Something soft graced against her cheek and she spotted the prince holding a piece of red fabric.

"Handkerchief ma'am?" Masahiko offered with a smile.

"Thank you," Alice replied. She took the cloth and mopped up her tears. "You know you are a special boy, you know that?"

"Eh?" a slight blush grew form the center of his cheeks, quickly spreading.

"I mean, you're really sweet and kind. I got the girls to tell me why they like you so much. Sometimes you were just kind, sometimes you encouraged them, sometimes you just cheered them up, and maybe in a way, you actually did all three. Yet, no matter what, you were still warm and kind boy you are. There were times when I thought that you were a bit crazy, but that is who you are. Growing up, I had some crazy friends myself. Practically insane. Sometimes, they would make me want to strangle them or pull my hair out. Yet, they were always there for me, with a smile, a shoulder to cry on, and some way to cheer me up, no matter how crazy it was it always worked. They were special, just like you."

The red bloom on the prince's cheeks seemed to have grown, covering the whole field of his face, growing darker with each passing moment.

"Come on, let's go back now, there are some girls waiting for us," Alice stated.

She held out a hand, which the boy took. He jumped off the bench and while the two started off, the child held the woman's hand a little tighter.

Keeping his head down mostly, glancing up at the maiden occasionally, Masahiko's mind kept wandering.

"_I wonder why this feels so familiar…"_

The image of someone patting his hair came to mind.

"_You're special, Masahiko, just the way you are."_

Blinking his eyes, the boy stared at the foreigner, who just stared ahead.

"_Could it be…that this Alice is…"_

* * *

_Masahiko peered around the green wall and quickly dashed across the way, crown and ascot free and a stick carrying a red sack with white polka dots, over his shoulder. _

_When he got to the other other side, he sat down and wiped his forehead with a sleeve._

"_So far…so good," he congratulated himself._

"_**YOUR HIGHNESS! PRINCE MASAHIKO!"**_

_The boy jumped out of his skin and behind a lamp, stretching himself to be as skinny as possible, and his stick sticking straight up in his hands. From behind the post, he heard the sound of footsteps trampling the grass and some men talking._

"_**YOUR HIGHNESS! YOUR HIGHNESS!"**_

"_**WHERE ARE YOU?"**_

"_Do you see him?"_

"_No, let's keep moving."_

"_Right."_

_When they dashed off, Masahiko peeked from behind the post, watching them run. When the men turned, he raced away. When he halted to check for more soldiers, something caught his eye. Past the maze, touching the sky was Heart Castle. Home sweet home once, now only a boarding school, full of expectations. Ones that he couldn't fulfill._

_Sighing, the boy trudged on, going down one of the numerous pathways, trying to make his way out when he crashed into something. He looked up, a figure in a blue dress with long hair stood before him. Her bangs covered where her eyes would have been._

"_Masahiko! There you are!" the woman called out._

_The prince paled and the dashed off, foiled when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist._

"_**MA'AM, LET ME DOWN! LET ME DOWN!" **__the prince hollered, shaking and squirming like a worm. _

_He struggled in vain, until the woman set him down. She placed her hands on his cheek._

"_What's wrong Masahiko? You've never acted this way before. Why are you suddenly running away?" _

_The Masahiko's violet eyes directed themselves away from the face in front of him. "Did you read my note?"_

"_Well, your father read it for everyone , but apparently you've decided to quit being a prince and are leaving Heart Castle and not returning until you've found a new home," the woman admitted._

"_Don't worry, once I am settled, I will write each and every one a letter. See ya!" he smiled and turn away from the woman, ready to race away._

_She grabbed his white shirt collar, "Nice try your highness."_

_The child sighed, "Drat!"_

_Putting her arms around the lad, the lady carried him over to a bench where she sat and placed him on her lap. Gently caressing violet locks, the woman requested, "Now come on, and tell me what's going on."_

_The prince looked down at the dress' light blue fabric. "I…I don't fit in my family. I'm not…special enough."_

_The adult stared blankly at him._

"_What?" she asked._

_Masahiko explained, "Well think about it, Mother is an elegant and beautiful queen, Father is a kind and fair King, Aniue-sama is great at his studies and sports, Aneue-sama is a graceful dance, Sissi is an amazing horseback rider and Willie is just plain the apple of everyone's eye."_

_The female sighed, "A few things Masahiko, your mother is has a hot temper and chops off peoples' head, your father is rather faint-hearted, your older brother is annoying, your older sister can be bratty, Sissi is a monkey, and William is still in diapers."_

"_I didn't say that they were perfect, I just said they seem like the royal family everyone expects them to be," the boy admitted. "Nobody seems to notice me; there is nothing special about me."_

"_Don't be silly, there are plenty of special things about you," the woman stated._

"_Name one," the male challenged._

"_You have a wonderful personality," she responded immediately._

"_Really? That old line?" he asked._

"_What? I'm a parent, I have to say something corny," the female refuted._

"_Well, this has been a nice a chat. I'll be leaving now. I'll send everyone a postcard when I get settled," the boy stood up, jumped off the bench and started to gallop. _

_Once again, a pair of blue chains captured him. This time, they flung him over the lady's shoulder, like a sack of flour; she began to stroll around the maze. After a while, the maze was behind them, as well as the palace walls surrounding the red royal residence. _

_The prince struggled against her hold, squirming like a fish out of water. __**"PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN!"**_

"_As you wish, your highness," the woman said, at the moment, she dropped him right on the ground. _

_As Masahiko rubbed his sore bottom, he moaned, "Why did you do that for?"_

_Calmly the woman answered, "Masahiko look."_

_Her hand guided him to see a small of wall of brick. He looked over it to see a violet haired boy looking back at him, a ripple periodically distorting the boy's face._

"_Masahiko what do you see?" the female asked._

"_My reflection," the boy responded._

"_Yourself," the lady corrected._

_The prince turned and tilted his head at the woman. He grunted, __**"HUH?"**_

"_Let me explain," the adult started. "When you look at yourself, the first things you notice are the things you don't like about yourself, and no matter how hard you look, you can only find the bad things about yourself. You cannot notice the good things about yourself, but someone else can. It takes someone else to say 'Wow! That's cool or amazing.' or 'You're really good at this.' or maybe 'I wish I could be as good as you.'. When someone says something like that, that is when you feel special. It is only then when you notice those good things, because when there is someone who thinks you are special you feel special. Look at yourself again."_

_The lad did as he was told, staring once more at his reflection. The woman scooted closer, placing the child on her lap. The two stared at the watery mirror. _

_The lady continued, "You might see a boy doesn't special about him, but that's not what I see. I see the boy who came up with the idea of arranging hundreds of pink and red roses into the shape of a Mother's Day card for his mother. I see the boy who always comforts his little sister and baby brother when they get hurt. I see the boy who jumps at the chance to help with his big brother's and sister's school projects. I see the boy who rubs his father's shoulders after a hard day at work. I see the boy who brightens up the room with laughter. I see the boy who always has listening ear for anyone. I see a boy whose creative, funny, caring but most of all very, very special."_

_Thanks to the pond's image, the boy could see his eyes water and his face go red. He drew his gaze away, resting it on his lap. _

"_Masahiko?" the woman asked. _

_The prince just silently sat on the woman's lap. She began gently rubbing his plum locks. After a few strokes, Masahiko clamped onto the female's waist. While it was very faint, softer that the breeze, the lady heard little sobs._

"_Now let's go home, shall we?" the adult offered._

* * *

_The lit lanterns battled against the darkness as the maids and soldiers shook and stood in fear as the violet eyes above them, staring daggers right at their necks._

"_Have you found our son?" a male voice next to the eyes asked._

"_Regretfully, there is no sign of his royal highness prince Masahiko," one of the cards stated._

"_**IMPUDENT FOOLS! OFF WITH THEIR HEADS! ALL OF THEM!" **__The queen roared._

"_Vivaldi, don't kill them off yet. We need them to find Masahiko," the king countered. _

_The group sighed; they could always rely on the male monarch to stop the female's favorite disposal method of the servants._

"_If they don't find Masahiko before the next time change, then you can chop off their heads," the crowned head compromised, smiling cheerfully._

_Fear jolting down men and women's spines, the group dispersed down the several hallways, trying to find the missing heir. _

"_See my love, you have to reason with the servants to get what you want, not just chop off their heads all the time," the male majesty stated._

_The female majesty gazed out the window and sighed, "We see…"_

_The king placed his hand over his wife's fist, patting it gently. "Don't worry my love, I am sure that we'll find him soon," he soothed._

_The queen took her hand back and used it hold up her head, her elegant curls flowing down like curled waterfalls. "What did we do wrong? How did we fail as a mother?" she moaned. These sobs seemed to echo in the empty room._

_The man took her hands away from her face, wrapping them with his own fists. "Don't think like that," he scolded. "You've done nothing wrong."_

_The woman sniffed, "How do you know."_

"_I just do," he answered, "You love our children with all your heart. You've been nothing but the most loving and devoted mother. If there is any reason for Masahiko running away, it is probably just some misunderstanding. Once we find him, we'll ask what's wrong."_

_Randolph raised his wife out of her throne and embraced her, her head right next to his chest._

_Snuggling close to her husband's chest, Vivaldi wrapped her arms around him. She murmured, "What would we do without you?"_

"_Well, for starters you'd probably behead more people." The man suggested in a cheerful tone._

_The violet-haired woman giggled and let out a small sigh. She nuzzled against the chest in front of her. This man could always relieve any doubt or worry she had, even if it was a little while._

"_**I'M HOME!"**_

_The two royals glanced at down, spotting a lavender haired boy in the arms of a brunette woman._

"_**MASAHIKO!" **__Vivaldi cried. _

_She quickly released herself from the king's grasp and reached down the stairs, the king followed in hot pursuit. The two charged at the woman, snatching the child, leaving the female to hear the sound of a bowling strike as she hit the ground just like the ten targets one aims for in the game. The female monarch pressed the lad close to her chest._

_"Oh you awful boy, you awful __**terrible **__ boy! We'll have your head for this!" With tears flowing down her cheeks, Vivaldi squeezed her son and kissed his face every few seconds. After few times, she just began to snuggle her cheek against the boy's own face._

_Randolph placed his arms around the two violettes, a few tears slip down his face. "My son…you're home," he said with a cracked voice._

"_And I'm never leaving again!" the boy declared, wrapping his arms around his mother's necks._

"_Why did you ever leave?" the king asked._

"_Well I just thought that maybe I didn't fit into being part of the royal family, so I thought it would be easier to quit being a prince," Masahiko admitted._

"_Son, no matter what you do or say, no matter where you go, you'll always be a prince, because you'll always be a member of our family," Randolph stated. "You'll always have a place in our hearts."_

"_Even if you and Mother have another child?" the heir asked._

"_Even if we had ten more," his father affirmed._

_The queens eyes popped open and stopped her caressing. She turned towards the king, holding the boy close. "We certainly hope that you are going to be the one who delivers these children, we believe we filled our quota for childbirth," she interjected._

"_Not even if there is a chance that the next child might be a cute little daughter who might be the spitting image of her beautiful, elegant, the-best-thing-that-ever-happened-to-me-mother?" the full gown male asked, blinking his brown__*** **__eyes a few times._

_The woman sighed, "You have a way with words, dear. We might think about it after William is out of diapers."_

_Randolph chuckled and turned towards the other woman in the room, "How can we ever thank you Alice?"_

_The boy looked at the woman dressed in blue, her aquamarine eyes no longer hiding from their brown curtain._

"_Don't worry about it, if it was my little girl, I'm sure you would do the same thing," the woman stated._

_She strolled over to the boy, affectionately, yet rather roughly, rubbed. The woman grinned, "See I told you that you were special!"_

_Averting his violet orbs to the ground, the boy nodded, making a sound of agreement. His cheeks matched his parent's blood red clothes._

"_Well take care Masahiko," the foreigner said. _

"_You too, Alice-san!" _

"_Just call me Alice."_

"_Alright, it's time for you to go to bed young man," the queen stated. She shifted the boy so that he looked over her shoulder. "Good night, Alice."_

_The woman bid farewell to the royals, "Good night Vivaldi, Randolph, and you too Masahiko."_

_Setting off in their own directions, the two woman strolled out of the courtroom. Vivaldi left, Randolph right next to her, gazing into each other's eyes. Alice left by herself, yet the prince's eyes never left her until she was out of view._

* * *

"_I see…I guess Alice was always like this…" _Masahiko pondered. He started to stare at the maiden bedside her.

Alice glanced down at the boy, noticing his gaze. "Is there something wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing just looking at that big bug in your hair," the boy stated.

The female shrieked and her hands flew to her head, patting all voer her noggin. After feeling nothing unusual in her hair she sighed and glared at the boy.

"Ha! Ha! You actually looked!" the prince chuckled.

"I'm going to get you for that!" the girl grinned and immediately grabbed the child and rubbed her knuckle against his violet locks.

"Stop it!" the kid cheerfully yelled.

"Nope not until you say you're sorry!" ALice moved her hand a little faster.

"Okay, okay I'm sorry!" the child cried out.

"Okay you're off the hook," the maiden stated, promptly dropping him on the ground.

As the boy looked up at the foreigner, rubbing his bottom, he couldn't help but smile.

"I guess you never do change," the words slipped out from his mind.

"What was that?" Alice asked.

"Nothing, just trying to remember what poor guy married such a violent woman like you." Masahiko answered.

"Oi! Who are you calling violent ?" The female but her hand on her fhips, a vien showing on her head.

"Since there is only you and me around…I guess I must have been talking about the air…" the boy stated, looking away from the woman, only to glance back at Alice.

"Honestly where do you get this from?" she asked.

"I can't help it, I'm part of the 'Crazy Generation'!" the boy spun around and beamed.

"So what's your parents' generation?"

"It's either the 'Insane or Psycho Generation'. It all depends on how you look at them." Masahiko answered.

"I pick insane." Alice decided.

"Excellent choice, madam." The boy stated.

The two started to chuckle as they made their back to the girls.

"Hey, what do you think I should tell the girls?"

"Hmm…" the young woman pondered. "How about you say you are ten years too early to know what love truly is."

"Too early to know love, eh? I wonder if that is true…." The boy absentmindedly glanced around, finally setting his eys on the maiden.

"_**MASAHIKO!" **_

Turning towards the voices, the prince soon found himself once more in the middle of a herd of crying girls.

"We're sorry Masahiko! We're really sorry!" Natsuki balled.

"What's wrong everyone?" the boy asked.

"We…we thought that you hated us…" the albino child explained.

All of her friends nodded.

"We didn't mean to be so nosy, we're sorry," Aoi apologized.

"Hey come on, I wouldn't hate you for something like that," Masahiko stated. "Really, if I had hated you guys…" the prince grabbed the head of the noirette in next of him, her cap fell to the ground, wrapping his arm around her neck and started to rub his knuckle against her dark locks. _**"I WOULDN'T DO THIS!" **_he grunted, a typical mischievous boy grin plastered on his face.

"Hey stop it, you're messing up my hair," Akahana complained.

"You've already got messy hair, you get that from your father," the boy answered.

"Hey, I want to get a noogie from Masahiko!" the kitten exclaimed.

"No fair, Hana-chan you shouldn't hog him all to yourself!" the little rabbit called.

"Right now, you can have him," the dark haired girl growled. She wiggled herself out the boy's grasp. Grabbing, dusting, and putting her hat, she glared at the boy and sighed, "Honestly. What is more annoying, cousins or little brothers?"

Glancing at each other, the two look-a-likes then stared at the girl. They said simultaneously, "Little brothers, duh."

"Why did I even bother asking?" The capped girl chuckled and rolled her eyes.

All of the children giggled, the sound ringing out like a bell, relieving all of the insecurities and sadness in the air.

The queen walked over to the boy, "We've heard about what you've done to the girls."

The boy gulped loudly and quickly turned towards the girls, "Have I told you girls lately that you're the cutest things in Wonderland?"

"Don't worry, it wasn't anything bad."

"Phew," the prince sighed. He faced the girls again, "I still think that you girls are cute."

All of the girl's cheeks turned pink and giggles escaped their lips.

"We are quite proud out of you," the woman cooed, gently rubbing his cheek.

"I like to thank my wonderful mother for raising me," the lad smiled.

"So Masahiko…"

"Hmm?"

"_**WHICH ONE OF US TO YOU LIKE?"**_

The gust of wind caused by the shouts of the lasses casued the boy's hair to blow back and stay that way.

"Well actually, I'm still not sure. Ask me in about ten years."

"_**TEN YEARS?!"**_

"Can you cut it half too keep us out of suspense?" Mamoru asked.

"Nope, ten years is how long it will take me to fall in love, so be patient okay?"

The sigh that the girls emitted was so sorrow filled; you would think there was a giant gray cloud over all of their heads.

"Alright, how about we kill some time by hearing Alice-aneue's first love story!" Akahana announced.

"What?!" Alice exclaimed.

"You said, and I quote 'I'll tell you my story after I hear all of your stories' remember?" Natsuki stated.

The foreigner flinched and growled, cursing herself. Then she glanced to the side and then smiled. She had spotted her scapegoat.

"Why don't we hear Vivaldi's story instead?"

Vivaldi choked on the sweet that she had just placed on her mouth and then glared at the maiden with a bow on her head. The boy on her lap looked curiously at the same foreigner.

"Oh, we all know that story already," Utako answered.

"Really?" the outsider asked disappointed.

"Yep, she fell in love the king when she first came to the castle and he comforted her because she missed her family and was scared."

All of the girls nodded, "Mmm-hmmm."

"_**THAT IS NOT TRUE!" **_the queen hollered, slamming her hands on the table.

"Mother, you're protesting too much again," the boy teased.

"Yeah Aneue, you're blushing," the prince's cousin agreed.

The queen crossed her arms and twisted her neck, hiding the crimson stain on her face vehind her violet curls.

"Come on, Ane-chan! Tell us!" the brown eared girl impleaded.

"Tell us! Tell us!" the Tweedles bombarded the foreigner.

Alice sighed in defeat, "Alright! Alright! I'll tell you!"

Swarming at the end of the table, the girls eyes widened, watching, waiting, for the story. The boy left the queen's lap and sat a few chairs away from the crowd. Vivaldi noticed the missing warmth from her thighs; she looked back at the table and spotted the boy, his eyes glued onto the younger female, his face stern with anticipation. The monarch chuckled softly at the sight.

Alice started, "Well it all started when I got a "C" on a geometry test…"

* * *

"_I can't believe it! I just can't believe it! "A" Alice got a "C", what is this world coming too?" an overdramatic voice whined._

"_I know Shirlea! Mama, what are we going to do?"_

"_I don't know darlin'. And don't call me Mama." One voice answered a twang like a steel guitar in a country song strong in her voice._

"_You guys…" Alice sighed._

_Four girls sat around the room, each of them in bare socks, surrounding a plate full of cookies and sticks covered in something brown. All of them idly grabbed at the snacks. In the room, bookcases and photos covered the walls._

_One girl, lying on the bed, had dark green hair, tied back in a red ribbon, the ponytail reaching past her shoulder blades. Her eyes reminded people of fine oak. She wore a white t-shirt, which revealed her warm shoulders yet it covered her waist. From that down, a pair of dark demin covered the curves, until her ankles. Her toenails were a deep red. _

_Another, crisscrossed on the floor, had sunshine blonde hair, molded into two buns on top of her head and two long tails ending at her hips. Her eyes shone like finely polished blue jade. She wore a bright red long-sleeve shirt decorated with golden swirls all over, joined by similar strings looped around matching spheres made out of the same strings. She wore long matching pants, the swirls flowing down to her knees. She looked like as if she was ready to work in a Chinese restaurant or a kung-fu film…except she was missing her shoes._

_The next girl, belly on the floor, had sky colored blue hair going past her bottom, just a few inches short of her knees. Her eyes were bright and the same color as a jar of honey, with freckles underneath them. She wore a yellow tank top that went to the waist. Where that ended, a pair of blue jeans started, and when they ended at the ankles, a pair of thick looking white socks took its place._

_The last girl had long brown hair with a blue ribbon on top. Her orbs shimmered the same blue-green of the sea. Wrapped in a light blue dress that stopped near her knees, the girl sat at a desk, stripped socks legs crisscrossed._

"_Look, everyone has a class that they have problems with and mine just happens to be geometry okay?"_

"_Yet, ever since we were little, you've always made top grades." The pony tailed girl commented._

"_Yes Shirlea and you've always slept in class," Alice commented._

"_Hey, I have work, sometimes it keeps me up at night," the greenette stated._

"_Yeah Shirlea, filming five minutes of film and then spending the next five hours flirting with the Delivery Boy #3," the blonde stated._

"_Hey, can I help it if the idiotic villain can't remember his lines and they hire cute extras." _

"_So Alice do you think that __**your **__tutor will be cute?" the sun haired girl asked._

"_Look Mirabelle, I don't care about the tutor. I just want him to get in, teach me how to do all those proofs and find how big an arc is on a circle and get him out."_

"_Come honey, you can't just sit in your room all day, reading books and polishing your camera. Why don't you go out and socialize, particularly with someone of the other gender," The bluenette encouraged._

"_Yeah, who knows what kind of men you could meet. There are plenty of bookworms boys and…photo guys who would love to meet a gal like you," the female with double buns agreed. _

_The girl with the bow sighed, "Mama, Mirabelle, I'm not as boy-crazy as all of you are. Besides I work in the wedding business, I talk to people all the time, especially a lot of males."_

"_I ain't your mama," the azure headed female stated._

_The pony-tailed girl complained, "But Alice, most of those guys are either taken, drunk, or just looking for a bridesmaid to hit on. And speaking of being hit on, I saw a rather dashing man talking to you at the Kaida wedding. You two seemed to be having a good time, you even exchanged cards."_

"_Shirlea, he was the caterer. I exchanged business cards cause I thought he was a great cook and I might offer him some business. It was strictly professional."_

"_I have professional relationships with other actors and real relationships, just because you work with someone doesn't mean you can't go out for dinner after words."_

"_Look, I guess he was nice, but I just wasn't interested."_

_The other girls eyes started to sparkle, their mouths into smirks, and their ears seemed to be become pointed at this information._

"_So tell us…what exactly kind of guy would make you interested?" The actress asked._

_The brunette started to rub the back of her head, "I don't know…I never thought about it…i guess seeing a handsome man across someplace. We meet, get to know each other, have a laugh or two…" At this point, her cheeks sprouted pink buds. "And maybe just before we said goodbye…he'd say something really romantic or touching or something like that…and kiss my hand I guess…" With each word, the blush got deeper and her voice got softer._

"_Well…well headstrong modern Alice has an old fashion romantic heart," Mirabelle teased._

"_Sounds like something from an old classic movie, very classy and traditional. I like it." Shirlea commented a hand under her face, her thumb and pointer finger looking like check mark under her chin._

"_Be careful, Alice, you've got to keep men under your thumb or else they will walk all over ya," Carol added._

"_No more comments from the peanut gallery please," Alice grunted. _

"_So your problem is the conditions aren't right when it comes to love," her ponytailed friend commented._

"_No my main problem is my chichi__*****__, who is overseas for practically every day of the year, who decided to hire me a tutor without even asking me!" _

"_You should be grateful that you can see your daddy, some of us ain't that lucky, hun." Carol added._

_For a minute, a heavy and gloomy air seemed to hang around the room, as three of the girls sighed._

_Realizing her callousness, Alice stiffened. "Sorry guys, I forgot."_

"_Don't worry, now let's go meet your tutor," the pony greenette said._

"_No way! You guys are staying here!" the girl with the bow on her head shrieked._

"_Aw, come on Alice! Why not?" the bluenette asked._

"_I don't want you to embarrassing me in front of some guy I have to see every week. It gets awkward…" the brunette blushed._

"_But Alice, we embarrass you every day, why should break tradition?" the female with two buns question._

"_Because of you guys little 'tradition' I wonder if I have any sanity," Alice grumbled. "Just stay in here and wait until the guy leaves. I'll tell you everything once he is gone. I've got to go now , he's probably going to be here any minute."_

_***DING DONG!* *DING DONG***_

_At that moment, the sound announced the arrival of the stranger._

"_Looks like he's here…" the maiden in blue sighed. _

_As the brunette got up and right when she put her hand on the nob, the bluenette called out, "Wait a minute, sugar."_

_Alice turned as her friend got close to her, out of her back pocket she pulled out a light square piece of yellow fabric. Carol licked a corner and gently rubbed the wet piece against the younger girl's cheek._

"_Sorry, there were a few crumbs on your cheek," the older female described._

_The brunette sighed and smiled, "And you wonder why we call you Mama. Now everyone…__** STAY IN HERE!**__"_

_The slam of the door caused the trio left behind to pout. But only for a minute. They glanced at each other._

"_What are we waiting for? Let's get snooping!" Shirlea screamed excitedly._

_Dashing out the door, the three girls halted at the end of the hallway, before them stairs spiraled. Peeking out from the iron bars, they spotted their friend at the door._

_Alice sighed to herself, "Let's get this over with."_

_She clutched the knob and opened the oak plank. There stood a man, probably a few years older than her. The bow on the woman's head would have touched his chin. With the way he looked, his skin looked as if it had never seen the sun and his hair appeared as if it never heard of brush. His eye seemed to be an uneven blend of blue and green, heavily leaning towards the first one._

"_Hello there, I presume that you are Alice Liddell-san?" the male asked._

"_That's right, you must be the tutor," the maiden stated._

"_Yes my name is Theodore Takashi; it's nice to meet you, Liddell-san." The man greeted._

"_Just call me Alice. Why don't you come on in sir?"_

"_Alright Alice-san," the tutor agreed. He shifted himself, taking off his shoes. He set his simple brown shoes to the side, next to a pair of crimson clogs, lipstick red high heels, some slip on shoes with some gold swirls, and a brown cowboy boots.__*****_

"_It's just Alice, Sensei." _

"_Are you sure, it's just that your father did employ me so you are technically my boss's daughter and you are the daughter of one of the most well-known publishing companies. It would seem strange for me to just call you by your name."_

"_Don't worry about stuff like that, no one ever calls me stuff like that. Practically the only people who ever call me by honorifics are just strangers trying to get something or people from the company. Just call me Alice."_

"_Alright Alice, if that's what you wish."_

"_**Now that's out of the way…" **__a loud voice called. The two glanced up to notice the blonde on the top of the stairs, her rear on the banister, one leg on each side. After pushing herself away from the wall, Mirabelle slid down the wood, smiling like a child on a slide._

_When it seemed as she was about to crash into the pole at the end, the only male shouted, __**"LOOK OUT!"**_

"_Don't worry, she'll be fine," Alice sighed. "Worrying about Mirabelle getting hurt is like worrying about a cat falling. Pointless. She'll be fine."_

_The man didn't even get to turn his head in disbelief; before the female on steps grabbed the round top part of the last pillar and in the blink of an eye, the maiden was suspended by her arms, her legs spread out like a cheerleader._

"_Hey Alice, show some concern! I could fall and get hurt!" the other girl moaned. "Show some compassion."_

"_Okay, get down from there before you give my tutor a heart attack," the girl in blue stated._

_The blonde sighed, "Eh, close enough."_

_She bent and straightened her elbows and then launched herself into the air. After tucking herself in a ball and rotating three times, the two long tails on each of her head spinning like the corners of a pinwheel, the golden haired girl landed on her feet._

_The male's eyes were wide open; stretching from one white sand of his face to another, the island that was his nose separated them, "A…Amazing…"_

_Over and over, the woman in red bowed. "Thank you! Thank you! You're too kind."_

"_Sensei I'd like to meet Mirabelle Moguang__*****__, one of my childhood friends, magician, and crack pot."_

"_Hey Alice! Thanks for the introduction!"_

"_You know me and I know you, it's even. Sorry Sensei, she maybe more than a little bit screwy but she's really one of the nicest and best friends you can ask for, especially at a party."_

_The man bowed slightly, "Nice to meet you ma'am, I'm Theodore Takashi. Are you Mirabelle, as in the Magnificent Mirabelle, the magician who's been appearing in all the celebrity parties lately?"_

"_The very same! You know my boyfriend's name is Theodore," the magician stated._

"_Really?"_

"_You don't have a boyfriend. You haven't told us, you usually tell us if you start going out with some guy. I thought you were too busy with work and taking care of your cousins."_

"_You're right Alice, we just met," Mirabelle stated. She flicked her hand, and out of thin air, a bouquet of brightly colored flowers bloomed in her hand, complete with pink paper wrapping the stems._

"_Um...thank you…" Theodore stated with a blush on his cheeks._

"_Mirabelle, stop it."_

"_Come on Alice, you said you didn't want him. So why can't I go out with him? So sensei, you free this Friday? My uncle runs this little Chinese restaurant."_

"_**I DIDN'T WANT HIM AS A BOYFRIEND, ONLY A TUTOR!" **__Alice screamed then sighed, "I'm sorry about this sensei."_

"_It's fine. That's sounds lovely Ms. Moguang but unfortunately I have other plans."_

"_Alright," the blonde huffed, "You didn't stand a chance anyway."_

_The bouquet of flowers flew from her hand and onto his head, a cone like hat on the man's head._

"_Yeah, sanity turns her off," the brunette sniped._

_The golden haired maiden let out a growl._

"_Looks like another rejection, honestly Mirabelle you've got be more subtle when it comes to men," a voice called out._

_The crowd glanced at the staircase to see another person sliding down the banister, at a much slower rate than the first person though. Her bottom gently touched the end, causing her to gently stop._

"_Could you guys, please, use the stairs?" Alice moaned. "This is my house."_

"_Sorry Alice, but I wanted to make a dramatic appearance as well, how else would I get any attention with the spotlight on you three," the greenette sighed as she walked over to the group, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder._

"_You should be more careful with them though," the blonde commented. "Although the leg together look is rather classy, if you were wearing a skirt, we would have had a nice show of seeing your underwear. You should try the leg-on-each-side position."_

"_Oh! I see, I should tell that to the script writers before they put that into a movie." _

_The man face turned red with embarrassment, from what he heard and imagined._

"_I'm sorry for not mentioning it Sensei, but my friends like this kind of jokes. This is the Shirlea Pergolan, another childhood friend of mine. She's a great friend, but she's also a bit of a man-eater and vain."_

"_I prefer 'flirty, friendly, and proud'," the ponytailed woman commented, "Thank you very much."_

"_If you were going for alliteration and accuracy you should of said at the end, 'full of it", Mirabelle remarked rather smugly._

"_Alright you two that's enough," Alice sighed._

"_Are you really Shirlea Pergolan, the Shirlea Pergola? As in the actress?" the man's surprise was in his voice and eyes._

"_Oh you've heard of me? I'm flattered!" the greenette sighed._

"_I loved you in that movie "Thief of Hearts", it was amazing," Theodore complimented._

"_Thank you, it actually kind of embarrassing to have people on the street to say stuff like that," Shirlea blushed, rubbing the dark emerald locks on the back of her head. "Would you like an autograph?"_

"_You're actually excited…" Alice stated._

"_I'm Theodore Takashi is nice to meet Pergolan-san." _

"_So you're Alice's tutor, so what subjects do you teach?" Shirlea questioned._

"_Well, usually I teach English, Japanese, and algebra, but if there are other classes you need in help in let me know. I'm always happy to help."_

"_How are you at anatomy?" the actress asked._

"_Well, so-so I still have to learn a little bit more before I can really tutor anyone in that subject…" the man sighed._

"_You're not taking anatomy Shirlea," Alice stated._

"_And you don't need a tutor, you make pretty good grades," Mirabelle backed up._

"_I'm just curious, there's no harm in learning something new. Besides we can both learn something."_

"_Eh? Both of us?" Theodore asked._

"_But of course, you can study __**my **__anatomy while I study __**yours**__." Shirlea giggled._

"_**EH?!" **_

"_Told you she was a man-eater," Alice mumbled. "That's enough, Shirlea or else I'll call your boyfriend and tell him you're seeing someone else on the side."_

"_Not it would really make a difference, but alright I had my fun." The thespian sighed._

"_Your boyfriend? You mean that famous financer, Futoshi-sama?" The male asked._

"_Yeah, but don't worry, its not going really anywhere, so if you're ever free…" the female started. Then she wrapped her arms around the man's neck, pulling her face close._

_From her friends' point of view looked like as if her face touching the man's. Indeed it was, just not the part they __**thought **__was touching. _

_Shirlea's nose gently poked Theodore's own, "I'm ready for a study session at any time, Sensei," she whispered. After adding a giggle, wink and smile, she let him go. The man's face was left crimson red._

"_Stop it, Shirlea! If he was redder, someone might think he's sunburned," a voice called out._

_The group noticed the bluenette at the bottom of the stairs._

"_Okay, okay mama, I'll stop."_

"_I ain't your mama. Sorry about Mirabelle and Shirlea, they tend to get excited around new men, but they'll calm down once you've been around for a while."_

_The brunette commented, "You make them sound like dogs or something."_

_The male sighed, "Thank you miss. You came at the right time."_

"_Actually I've been watching this whole time, since I thought that this would be a hoot! And boy was I right!" Carol laughed, clutching her stomach._

"_Well thanks for nothing, miss," Theodore sighed._

"_Come on, Carol, stop that," Alice scolded._

"_Carol? As in Carol Chinmoku__*****__? As in the…" he started._

"_I'm sorry hun, can we talk about my past job, it still hurts to remember…" Carol asked._

"_Oh yeah, well one of my friends was a huge fan of yours. You will be missed ma'am."_

"_Thank you kindly for the thought."_

_Two out of the three other girls started to glare at the two happily conversing._

"_Hey Sensei, give it up, you're not her type," Mirabelle announced._

"_Eh?" the talking two asked._

"_Yeah, I'm sorry Sensei, but Carol's already got someone else in her heart, and judging by her taste that she likes o…"_

_Shirlea couldn't finish because someone threw a large cowboy boot, landing right on the top of her head._

"_O…?" the male repeated, staring questionly at the singer._

"_I…I tend to like overachievers so you might want to keep working hard if you want to win my heart, hun!" the words rushed out of Carol's mouth._

"_Okay! Okay! That's enough of 'Meet the Teacher' day. It's time you guys to go home," Alice declared._

"_**WHAT?!" **__the other three girls exclaimed._

"_Aw come on Alice! Can't we stay for a little while longer?" the ponytailed pleaded._

"_Now, now, she probably wants to be alone with her tutor," the aquamarine haired woman added with a suggestive tone._

"_Woohoo! Way to be aggressive Alice!" the blonde cheered._

_Before they knew it, the three girls were outside on their bottoms, their shoes all over the place. They heard the door slam behind them. A pout formed on all three faces._

_The maiden with a bow fumed, "Man! They can be so embarrassing!" She turned around and sighed, "I'm really sorry Sensei."_

"_It's okay. I've had worst meetings."_

"_I don't know how you could have had worst meeting than this… God I'm so embarrassed!"_

"_It's okay Alice, they were just trying to be friendly… I think…" _

_The couple started to giggle but then the female stopped._

"_**OH MY GOD! I ALMOST FORGOT!" **__she hollered. The maiden dashed back to the door, opening and yelling out of it, __**"WAIT! COME BACK! YOU GUYS FORGOT SOMETHING!"**_

_Once more, the girl slammed the door and then began to dash up the stairs. _

_The three girls came back, standing close to the door._

"_I wonder what Alice is talking about," Shirlea stated._

"_Whatever it is its got her running like chicken without its head," Carol commented._

_Everyone seemed to agree with the eldest girl, by moving his, but mostly her head up and down._

_The brunette came back, carrying a rather large box that seemed to slow her down. She rather waddled down the stairs. The male came up the stairs and took the parcel out her hands. _

"_I'll take this."_

"_Thank you, just set it down on the ground."_

_With a thud, the box landed at the end of the stairs. Alice lifted the flaps to reveal three stacks of squares where three sides were white. _

"_Here are your books Shirlea," The brunette handed on of the stacks, many of the items them having a curtain or movie camera on them._

"_Books for Mama," the maiden continued, her stack having cacti, tumbleweeds, and horses on it._

"_And books for Mirabelle," she finished, the final stack having mostly cute animals on them._

"_Wow!"_

"_Thanks hun!" _

"_This is great!"_

"_Umm…Alice these books are?" _

"_Oh, these are some books that haven't hit the shelves yet. I give them to my friends to see how good they are, sort of just like a test run."_

_The greenette stated, "Show business is a competitive business, I like to brush up on lots of acting techniques when I have free time._

_The long aquamarine haired female spoke, "I was born and raised in America for the first few years of my life, in the South, and I've always had a soft spot for cowboys."_

_The blonde added, "There are a lot of little kids in my house, they always get a big kick when I read them fairytales and legends and stuff like that."_

"_Ok, now you guys can leave and don't come back until he leaves," the bow haired maiden affirmed, her thumb pointed to the male._

"_Alright, sugar but you give all of the details when we get back!"_

"_And we mean it, __**ALL OF THE DETAILS**__," the actress accented._

"_**GET OUT!" **__the female in blue hollered._

"_Oooh she's mad!" Mirabelle exclaimed._

"_Exit stage left!" Shirlea declared._

_Slamming the door behind, the trio left the tutor and his new pupil alone._

_The lone female sighed, "With all the noise that's gone on, I think we should head to library where it's nice and quiet."_

_The tutor smiled, "That's sounds lovely, lead the way."_

_As the two walked down the hall, the man pondered aloud, "I can't believe all the celebrities I met, if I'd known I would have brought an autograph book or something."_

_Alice chuckled, "Yeah, they can be pretty glamorous in the spotlight. Yet when they're out of it, they turn into eccentric, practically crazy, yet still loveable, fun girls."_

"_You don't seem crazy to me."_

_Stopping right into her tracks, the maiden turned, "Excuse me?"_

"_It took me a minute to realize who you really are. You're Alice Liddell, the photographer, aren't you?"_

_Aquamarine eyes widened, "You know about me?"_

"_Well, you did one of my relatives weddings and got to see one of the photo books," the male commented._

"_Can you describe them?" she asked._

"_Them?" he repeated._

"_Um…let me see… Her name was Hikari and she's kind of short. It was an outdoor wedding in spring, I think she wore a pink dress…I'm sorry that I really remember..."_

"_Oh now I remember! It was Hikari Hiroshi's wedding. She was 153 cm__*****__. She wore a pearl pink dress with a trumpet silhouette and off the shoulder cut. It was a hanami__*** **__themed wedding at Hikoshi Park. The wedding bouquet had white cherry blossoms and yellow tulips and reception was right next to the wedding. They had a four tiered cake white fondant with a cherry branch on the tiers, the filling inside was devil's food cake with chocolate ganache and raspberries, absolutely delicious."_

_Alice glanced back at the man, a blend of the shock and amazement on his face._

"_I'm sorry! I always remember a wedding I've been a part of. And my boss gets me involved with the wedding so much; that I'm practically am like a second wedding planner to the clients."_

"_No it's okay I'm just surprised at you, that's all."_

"_At me? How so?" _

"_It's just that I thought that you were an amazing, but I'm just surprised just how amazing you are."_

"_Amazing me?" the female's faced turned beat read._

_Most of her life, "amazing" wasn't something synonymous with or even fitted Alice. Amazing fit someone else, like Lorina, beautiful, elegant, lovely Lorina or Edith, prodigal genius Edith. They were the amazing ones in the family. Great or nice suited Alice better._

_Or so she thought._

"_Well, it's just…" Theodore started, "When I looked at the photo book, the pictures just captivated me. The cherry blossoms swirling around everywhere, they were in ever picture, but they were never in the way. It made the photo seems so much more natural and elegant somehow. There were also some shots with some puddles I liked, especially like the ones where people were jumping in them, it brought it to life. But my favorite one is where the couple was looking in up at the stars and you could see their reflection in a puddle, the night sky and blossoms swirl around in it, they looked so blissful and content, just gazing together at the stars that picture really stole my heart."_

_As Alice's blush grew deeper, the man's story continued._

"_After that, I started to look around at different galleries and photo books that had your works in them. But I'm not taking about wedding pictures…I mean you know other pictures. I really like the one with the firefly in the middle of the water lily and it makes it look like the flower is glowing and also the one where there was an umbrella, left on the ground, still open, sheltering this old stuff toy. I guess what I mean to say is that, ever since I saw the picture, the one where the bride and groom look up at the stars, I'm been a huge admirer of yours." He looked up at her, his cheeks a light shade of pink._

_Alice's own face returned the favor, tenfold. "Thank you sir, but you're just flattering me. I was just lucky at the wedding with the petals and the puddles. There was a light drizzle and the bride kept freaking out that the cherry blossoms would all get washed away but it only lasted for a few minutes. When we got there, puddles were everywhere. I was expecting to have to wait until the makeup artist finished redoing the bride's makeup from all the tears she would be crying, but she was actually beaming. Apparently, that is how she met her husband, splashing in puddles when they were kids. It was probably the first wedding I've been to that the couple jumped into a puddle, right after the vows." She added with a shy smile, "Those other pictures were just shots I took on a whim and got lucky with them."_

"_I still think that you're an amazing photographer."_

"_Thanks again, now less flattery more waling, you've still got to tutor me."_

"_Alright."_

_The two continued to down the hall, taking a few turns along the way. The tutor glanced up at a wall and noticed a face, a face that seemed so familiar…_

_His gaze bounced from the face on the wall to the female walking away from him. The male jumped a bit when he a second face down the hall._

"_Oi! What are you doing? Are your feet nailed to the floor or something?" the maiden called._

"_I'm sorry, Alice, but who is this person?" the man asked._

_Alice walked over to the man, "Who are you talking…" but she stopped when she saw the person._

_Inside the golden frame with swirls all around, a woman sat on her knees near a hole and some tulips, some in pots, some in the ground. Wiping some sweat on her forehead, you could see her hand underneath pale chestnut bangs. The two seas that were on her face were calm and serene, sparkling with laughter matching a mouth that spread from cheek to cheek._

"_Oh…that's my…hahaoya…"_

"_Really?" He glanced between the two women. "She sure looks a lot like you."_

"_What?"_

"_Oh sorry, it should be the other way around, right? You should be the one that looks like your mother."_

"_No, I mean what do you mean I look like her?"_

"_Well, you're mother and daughter so it's only natural you look like her," Theodore commented._

"_Sorry, it's just that I've never noticed it," Alice stated._

_Even though her hands were by her sides, Alice felt as though her fingers were crossed. She knew that she looked like her mother, all three Liddell daughter had gotten their mother's light oak colored hair, Alice herself had the lightest shade, the closest shade to the hair on woman in the frame, her sisters' hair were dyed darker by their father's own deeper chestnut locks._

_Yet, rarely anyone compared Alice to the matriarch of the family. At any party or formal affair where the eldest daughter attended, she seemed to be the sole child who inherited her mother's beauty and charm. From the swarm surrounding the oldest girl with their presence and words to those who stood back and admired her from afar, softly speaking to only those around them, everyone seemed to agree that Lorina Liddell was the loveliest one, the spitting image of their mother._

_Alice supposed it was only natural for the eldest daughter to be the one who looked the most like the mother; she guessed if fate had blessed their family with a boy, he would be the one who looked most like the father. It was only natural, when it came to looks and grace it seemed first-born, first served would get the best looks. Both Alice and Edith could be described as pretty, cute, or maybe even attractive, but Lorina's beauty so outshined her sisters that it would be pointless to even try to hold a candle to that._

_Occasionally, one of Alice's friends would glance at the picture and comment the similarity between Alice and the portrait of the woman. When the praise reached the Liddell's ears, her mouth would turn widely upwards and her cheeks changed color. To be compared to her mother was the highest compliment Alice could ask for._

"_Are you sure?" the tutor asked. "There is definitely a resemblance ."_

"_Where?"_

"_Well, I guess it's the smile. It's seems so lovely and lively."_

"_You're definitely got that right about my mother," the maiden grinned. "She was definitely that and more."_

"_Well like mother, like daughter," he added._

"_**NO, NO, NO!" **__ she protested. "We may look alike but my hahaoya and I were nothing alike."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah, she was really idealistic, cheerful, she could smile through anything. No matter how bad her day was, whenever she walked through the door, she tell about the story, it could the rottenest day of her life but by the way she told it, it would seem nothing more that plot to sitcom. When I have days like that, I would just brood and keep it to myself for the rest of the day."_

_The female stopped herself, "I'm sorry, I'm babbling."_

_The man shook his head, "No it's fine. But I still think that's a beautiful smile you have."_

"_Alright, alright, thanks for the flattery, it's nice for you to say…"_

"_But it's the truth."_

_The student froze in place._

_The tutor's cheeks burned as he looked away from the girl. "Well, I guess its kind of bold of me to say this, since we just met. Yet, I think there is more to than you than you think. From everything I've seen, I think you're a modest, witty, a little snarky and hot tempered, but that's okay, and above all kind. I mean, even when you were mad at them for embarrassing you and you sent them packing, you stopped them to give them the books they wanted."_

_The young woman looked away as well, "My friends say stuff like that all the time, but I think that's just to make me feel better about myself."_

"_Maybe you should actually listen to what they're saying, you've got a lot of wonderful things about you. In fact that…"_

_Bending over slightly, he took one of the female's hands, gently cupping it inside his own. He reaised it up so that his lips almost touched her skin. He took his other hand to turn the girl's eyes so that they say his. "I used to admire you as a photographer, but now I admire you as a woman. The two marine eyes looked away from the maiden's own aquamarine orbs and focused away on her hand. Gently, he pressed his lips against her hand._

_All of a sudden, the temperature of her cheeks rose as she recalled what she told her friends._

"_And maybe just before we said goodbye…he'd say something really romantic or touching or something like that…and kiss my hand I guess…"_

"_Well, it wasn't a goodbye…but its close enough…"_

_The man took his lips off her hand and simply smiled at her. He started down the hall and then glanced over his shoulder. "Umm…Alice aren't you going to show me the way to the library?"_

"_Y…yeah," Alice scurried over to the man and lead the way._

_For the rest of the day, mysteries yet lovely smile and blush remained on her face._

* * *

"Wow that was romantic…" Natsuki sighed.

"He was a real gentleman…" Utako held her blushing cheeks.

"We have to say, your friends seem quite peculiar…" Vivaldi stated.

"Yeah, I've been hanging out with crazies since I was little, they flock to me like bugs to a light or something," Alice joked.

"So what happened next, Ane?" Tora asked, her tail swishing around.

"Yeah! Yeah! Tell us Onee-sama!" Tama pleaded, her topaz eyes shone.

The maiden took in a deep breath and turned away from the prying eyes.

"Well as time went on, I continued to fall for him. I even confessed my feelings to him and we started going out. He was very kind to me, but he wasn't in love in me. Sometime later, he started to have feelings for…someone I knew. So we broke up, so he could go out with that person. He was a lot happier with her than he was with me…"

"Onee-chama, you're…you're crying," Aoi stated.

The foreigner stopped and started to rub her cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be a crybaby."

"I hardly say I blame you Aneue, after all, your friend did break the #1 rule among girls," Akahana commented.

"What rule?" Amai asked.

"You **never **go out with your friend's ex-lover."

"I agree, that's just plain cruel," Yumeko added.

"Here, Onee-tan," Midori offered a cream-colored handkerchief.

"Thanks."

"We'll always have your back Alice-nee!" Fumiko said.

"As long as we're around, of course!" Takara declared.

All of the females began to giggle until one voice spoke up.

"Umm…Aneue-sama?"

Everyone stopped and stared at the prince, his face was beat read.

"Well you see um…, for the longest time, I…I've looked up to you and admired your kind heart. And I have to admit to you're really pretty…" A puff of steam seemed to rise from his head.

"Come on, Masahiko! Spit it out!" Mamoru cheered.

"What…What I'm trying to say is um…well….I know that I maybe small and just a kid…but I'm still a prince…so what I want to say is…I know your heart had been broken once… but I swear…_**I…I'LL PROTECT YOU…UNTIL THE DAY YOUR TRUE LOVE CAN TRULY LOVE YOU…I'LL PROTECT YOUR HEART AND CARE FOR YOU!"**_

The prince took her hand and kissed it, when their skin touch another ring of smoke came up from the boy's head.

"_**EEK!" **_

The sound of the shrieks could have broken glass.

"Onee-chan! How could you!" Natsuki cried.

"You were supposed to be our friend!" Aoi hollered.

"Hey! Hey! Calm down everyone, I didn't do anything! I swear!" Alice protested.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about for too long," Mamoru stated.

"What are you talking about?" Amai asked.

"Think about it, we know where she lives," the brunette stated.

"Yeah! We also know where are pops keep their weapons!" Tora beamed.

"We also are tall enough to reach the knife drawer," Akahana stated.

The maiden felt chills down her spine, her face went pale.

"Um you girls…are joking?" she asked.

All of the little ladies glanced around at each other and gave the foreigner a wide beam.

"_**MAYBE!"**_

Now the teen's face turned blue.

"_I always thought that they were ordinary girls, but looks like I forgot who their fathers are. The apple doesn't far from the tree after all…."_

"Don't worry, Aneue-sama, I will protect you!" the prince declared.

Alice glared at boy and gave a rather hard thump,_** "It's **__**YOUR**__** FAULT THEY'RE LIKE THIS!"**_

"Hey don't hit Masahiko!" Utako hollered.

"It's okay, I kind of like girls that are tough."

The outsider growled, "Vivaldi could you help me with your son?"

The queen smirked, "Sorry Alice, but we have no control over men."

"_**VIVALDI!"**_

Ah, love…such a strange thing…

* * *

*Usa-chan- Usa comes form the word Usagi meaning rabbit.

* Get well cranes- based on a legend about cranes, if you fold 1,000 (WOW!) paper cranes, your wish will come true, usually given as gift to someone who sick or injured.

*Cultural festival- festival which students display their achievements. It's sort of like open in US, with lots of stall with games and food.

*Baka- stupid/idiot

*Day duty- In Japanese shcools students assigned to lead the class's routine task for the day. This includes taking attendance, cleaning classrooms, and keeping the class journal. ('Cause teachers and janitors in Japan are lazy! JKJKJK!)

*amigurumi-This can be the art of knitted stuffed dolls in japan or the dolls themselves. They can be animals but anything really, like riceballs. I think as long as it is knitted, small, and cute i think it counts.

*Oji- old man or uncle

*brown eyes- this is a canon, i saw in a JnKnA picture that king had his eyes open (It's true!) and they looked brown to me.

*chichi-father. I know its formal but it prevents spoilers.

*boots- the reason why the girls have their shoes off is that Japanese customs often have people take off their shoes to make sure no dirt, mud, or whatever doesn't come in. Usually the host offers slippers or just lets the guests walk around in their socks. Watch a couple episodes of Detective Conan (Case Closed) there will probably be a scene when everyone is running into someone's house, they still take off their shoes out of courtesy

*153 cm-about 5 foot

*Hanami- flower viewing

*Monguang- Mo-gwan (Not 100% sure on pronunciation, this is what it sounded like to me, sorry.)

*Chinmoku- Chin-mo-ku

Tomorrow is my first day of senior year! Woohoo! Let the good times roll!

The next chapter is going to be a little scary; at least I hope I can make it scary.

When I was writing this chapter, I was almost done with Hana-chan's story, when I noticed that Masahiko seemed a little bit more mean and teasing, so I went back to try to make sure that pop up in the other girl's stories as well.

As I told you before, some of Alice's friends tend to have silly, if not just plain crazy personalities. I will try to make them loveable in my next story.

I know you're wondering "What's with the blue and green hair?" Well, I thought it would be boring and if every outsider had either red, brown, blonde, or black hair, so I've decided to give some girls abnormal hair colors. If you imagine it as a manga or anime, I think it should help.

If you can tell which friend ends up with which Roleholder, please keep it to yourself.

Please review so I know that this story is loved.

Daisuki~


	29. Chapter 29 The Circus Rises!

I'm really happy with all the reviews you guys wrote me! Looks like I still got it! 3! Although if I had one complaint, I wish you, guys would have told me more about the different parts of the chapter you liked that the best, different lines that touched your heart or made you laugh. Did you like Alice's friends? I guess what I'm trying to say is with a big chapter like those, I would prefer that you would be more specific! I still really love the reviews I got!

I was rereading a bit of my story and I noticed Natsuki's birthday. I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but could you please mentally change that to some later year? I thought I would be done with story by now and working on my next couple, boy I was a fool… I'm really sorry again for any mistakes I made… Grammar isn't one of my best subjects…Also I read the last chapter, when they talk about Masahiko's little brother he is named Jack, but then it changed to William! I already edited it, he gets to be Willie, but still…Also Snowy is now amigurumi doll (knitted toy) named Ammy, for reason that will be explained in her parent's love story.

I'm sorry to inconvenience you.

Now to brighten your spirits, and hopefully mine, a new chapter!

* * *

Daisuki Papa Chapter 29

The Day at the Circus Fairgrounds! The Dark Circus Rises!

Overnight, at Clover Tower, an epidemic had spread.

Fever colored cheeks, blazing foreheads with wet clothes laying on them, to cool them, throats longing to be scratched on the inside, icicles for fingers, muscles moaning and begging not move, shin fester with little red pests.

Covered in at least three blankets each, the girls shook underneath.

"Is there anything I can I can get you girls?" Alice asked.

"No Onee-chan," the white rabbit whimpered. "We're fine. The onii-chans need to go to circus and you wanted to go to."

The time for the Roleholders to gather arrived, as part of the game, as part of the rules, they would gather at one place. Because of April Fool's Season, they would gather underneath a colored tent. The foreigner, who only went to the circus a few times, desired to go to the still mysterious fairground. The girls also wanted to attend the event, begging for new dresses for the occasion. It did seem that when the ones with duties always dressed up when they assembled. Yet now the gowns would have to wait in their boxes until they could be seen.

"I'm going to get something for your throats. Is there anything I could get you girls?" the maiden asked.

"I think I could use a new cloth," Akahana whispered.

The foreigner took the cloth from under her dark bangs. "I'll rewet this one for you."

"Thank you, Aneue," the noirette stated softly, turning her head to let out nasty sounding coughs away from the female.

"Anyone else need anything?" the foreigner asked.

The only sounds that replied, wheezy coughs and small moans, told her that what they really needed was a cure. With a sigh, the maiden walked out of the room.

Alice continued to down the hallway, pondering, _"I guess we'll be having soup for lunch…"_

Glancing out of the window, the female wondered aloud, "I guess the guys are already at the circus."

Clover Tower's Roleholders already departed their home, much to their chagrin. When the news of the ailing children reached them, they all seemed to want to stay. Gray was the one that wrapped the girls in three blankets, when Alice asked for one, his usual calm demeanor broken by every little cough admitted. Nightmare seemed to pull out every medicine they had, a surprising number considering the lord's health. Even Julius left his desk to place wet rags on their hot foreheads. The males wanted to stay, but nothing short of fierce blizzards would allow them to break the rules. Therefore, with heavy hearts, they left for the circus.

Alice reached the kitchen, heading straight for the sink. Cold water hit the towel as the maiden pulled out a large pot and some food from the fridge. When she returned and turned off the sink, the female took the temporary plug off the bottom, letting the pool of water swirl down into pipes to parts unknown. Twisting the rag, Alice squeezed out extra water that the cloth absorbed. When she began to twist it, she noticed something off.

The little towels Julius placed on the young females were as white as the snow outside the tower. Yet somehow, little cherry smudges seemed to crawl on there when she wasn't looking.

"What the…" Alice stated, "What is this?"

She sniffed the rag, the usual iron-like smell associated with red stains, at least in Wonderland, was missing. Instead, a different scent filled her nostrils, a rather childish, familiar fragrance…

Aquamarine eyes sparkled, in that moment, an idea formed in the maiden's mind. She started with a particular object in mind.

While Alice was away, the girls gathered sitting or lying on their stomachs in a circle. In their pajamas, they discussed their secret plan.

"You know you guys, it feels weird lying to Ane-chan," Amai admitted.

"Yeah, I know but it's either pretending to be sick or go to…" Yumeko shuddered, "the circus."

"Don't worry about it, as soon as the circus is over, we'll get better and make it up to her later." Mamoru stated.

"I hope Aneue comes back soon, I'm starting to get hungry," Akahana commented.

"Umm…H…Hana-chan?" Aoi stuttered. "The spots on your forehead, they are gone."

All eyes, even the light blue orbs underneath it, focused on the noirette's forehead. While all the other girls' fronts, vermillion vermin covered the space around and under their bangs, yet the hatter's child was free of the breakout.

"_**AAAH!" **_the noirette screamed. "What happened?"

"I guess when Onee-chan took your rag, they got wiped off," the white rabbit explained.

"Here let me put on some more on you," offered the little incubus. A marker, the top part deep blood red, after a few jabs, each touch leaving an impression, a rash seemed to have broken out on Akahana's forehead.

"Thanks Yume-chan."

"You're welcome."

The knob jiggled, sending every girl under the blankets, and adjusting something underneath their sheets so they could fit in them.

Peering into the room, Alice noticed the girls cocooned in blankets, some moaning or coughing.

"_Either they really are sick or …" _the maiden pondered as she let herself in.

"Is everything alright? I thought I heard a loud scream," she asked.

"I'm sorry Aneue, but I thought I saw a really big cockroach," Akahana stated hoarsely. "I don't really like those."

"I don't think anybody is really crazy about them," the foreigner chuckled. "You know girls; I think I have the cure for your ailment is."

"You do?" The Tweedles simultaneously asked.

"Yes," Alice stated.

Reaching into her apron pocket, the young woman pulled out a shiny little bottle, its contents sealed by a cork stopper and a silver spoon. She pulled out the lid, setting it on the cabinet before her. Taking the spoon in one hand and the bottle in the other, Alice started to tip the container.

Death itself seemed to come out of the bottle. Obsidian black syrup oozed out like pus from a boil, some bubbles raised up from its dark depths; the smell made rotting flesh smell like a bed of flowers.

Fear gripped the children's bodies, shaking them underneath their sheets; the blankets suddenly covered their terrified faces.

"_It smells so bad, it makes my eyes water!" _Midori whined internally.

"_It looks like a witch's brew!" _Tama fearfully imagined.

"I found this in the cabinet, this will have you girls on your feet in no time, so who wants to try to it first?" the outsider asked, happily smiling despite the menacing aurora from the concoction.

"Umm…Onee-chama…I think this is one of those times when the cure is worse than the disease…" the bluenette admitted.

"Yeah, if you don't mind Onee-san, we'll just get some sleep and we'll be fine," Utako suggested.

"Yet, if you sleep, you won't be able to go to the circus, or see your fathers, or Masahiko," Alice reminded.

This stabbed at the girls' mind, while the circus didn't have any appeal, the thought of being able to spend time with their fathers, hold their hands, get held by them, sit on their laps, or even some sort of gift from them did seem to catch their attention. The thought of being able to do that with Masahiko make their eyes sparkle and gleam, each girl drifting off to a fantasy where it was just him and her. Yet their dream bubble burst when they remembered where this would all take place, this didn't seal the deal. Especially with the price stand at that, sludge stuck in their mouth.

"Well, there is an alternative cure."

"What is it?" the girls all asked.

Alice pulled out a rag, pure of stains. "If you use this, I'm sure those spots will go away."

Shock struck the children, the flash of emotion, caused them to start breaking out in a sweat, their hearts galloping. Their façade was on the brink of crumbling right in front of their eyes.

"Akahana, this is your rag. Maybe you would like to use it," the maiden suggested.

A spotlight shined on the noirette, her eyes bouncing from the spoon to the rag. In one hand, the closets poison can get to being to being edible; in the other hand explosion and one angry Alice.

The marine eyes glared back her friends, _"You girls so owe me…" _the noirette thought.

"I think I'll try the medicine," the child solemnly stated.

"Alright, suit yourself," the older female shrugged.

The girl swallowed as the spoon crawled closer to her. She felt as though she trapped by walls, one of them moving closer and closer to her. Prying her mouth muscles open, a hole just big enough for the airplane and its bomb appeared. Sweat rolled down her neck as she waited for the delivery.

"_**STOP!"**_

The weapon yielded right when it was about to pass into the tunnel.

The white rabbit dashed over to the two. She grabbed the cloth in the foreigner's left hand, after rubbing every inch of her face; Natsuki presents a face free of the freckles and a rag with a rash.

"Natsuki! What were you thinking? Tora scolded.

"But if I didn't, Hana-chan would have eaten that stuff and she would've really gotten sick."

"But now we're in trouble," the kitten roared. She turned towards the young woman, her dark pink ears flattened. "Sorry, Aneki, we know that you're mad…"

Alice admitted, "Well I am more confused than mad…"

"Really?" the cub's ears poked up.

"Why? Why?" the two Tweedles asked.

"Well, I mean I understand trying to pretend to be sick when you want to avoid something you don't like, but I didn't know you girls didn't like the circus. I wish you had told me that. Yet if you didn't like the circus, why did you ask for new dresses to go?"

"Well, we wanted to go to the circus, but then we remembered that something scary is there," Midori explained.

The outsider smiled smugly, "Let me guess, you girls are afraid of clowns."

"Alice-onee-tan, that's silly!" the little mouse giggled. "Who would be afraid of clowns?"

Yumeko started, "Well…Joker-san is like a clown…isn't he?"

The temperature felt as though it dropped to freezing, if not artic; Alice was certain if she exhaled, her breath would come out like smoke.

"Joker?" the maiden asked, a little surprised at the lack of fog she produced.

"Yeah…now he can be a bit scary…" Natsuki agreed.

"Yeah he's scary!" the red double backed up.

"Terrifying even!" the blue double confirmed.

"You've got that right! Sometimes just saying his name, will give me the willies!" Utako stated.

Tora started to stroll over and quickly whispered, "Joker!"

The red head suddenly started to shake in her boots, "Wooo! Don't do that!"

The kitten shrugged, "Sorry couldn't resist."

"Joker? He doesn't seem that scary to me..."Alice started. "Wait which one do you mean?"

"Nee-san you've met both of them?" Yumeko asked.

"Yeah, White Joker runs the circus and Black Joker runs the prison, right?"

The cold aurora of the room turned black as night.

"Onee-chan…you've been to the prison…"

"Yeah, but it was an accident. I just got lost and…"

The maiden couldn't continue; it's hard to when several little girls suddenly jump on you and grab on the first body part they touched.

"Onee-chan, you need to be more careful! If you don't…if you don't…then…then…you'll end up being locked up!" the white rabbit sobbed.

"_**EH?"**_

"It's true, Onee-chama! The Jokers locked up our Okaa-chans once! They didn't do anything wrong, but they still got locked up!" the bluenette cried out.

"Wait a second! Just give me some room to breathe!" the maiden cried out.

All the little girls reluctantly let go of their own piece of Alice and took a few steps back, their heads down.

"We're sorry Onee-tan," Midori let out.

"It's okay, so tell me, do you know why your mothers were locked up?"

"Well…" Akahana started. "I think it's because of jealousy."

"Jealousy?"

"Yeah, the Jokers wanted to be with our mothers and the Jokers' women didn't like our mothers that much and wanted to be with our fathers."

"Jokers' women? Who are they?"

"Oh yeah! Ane, they women who married the Jokers," Mamoru explained. "Does anyone remember their names? I got nothing…"

After a few minutes passed, the most Alice got to an identity was shrugs and shaking heads.

"As I was saying Aneue," the noirette began again, "This feud started back when our mothers and the women were children. They all were close and were the best of friends, but then the Joker women started to be mean to other people. Our mothers didn't like it so they stopped being friends with them after that, and the women then moved away. Years later, the Joker women somehow found their way to Wonderland. Our mothers had already been here for a few months and had fallen in love with our fathers, though they hadn't confessed yet.

The Joker women tried to steal our fathers away from our mothers, but our fathers loved our mother's so they decided to turn them down. A little while afterwards, our mothers told our fathers that they loved them and our fathers did the same. At the same time, the Jokers had their eyes on our mothers but our mothers always turned them down. That is when the Jokers and the women plotted; the Jokers would kidnap our mothers and lock them up in the prison. Then the women would go to our fathers and tell them that they went back to their old world. And that's what they did.

When the women told our fathers that our mothers were gone, they knew something was wrong since when they confessed, our mothers swore they would never leave them. They knew that the Jokers like our mothers, so they decided to go to the Circus find them. They found them in the Prison and were able to rescue them.

Afterword, our mothers confronted the Joker women. They wanted to know why they were being so mean; it turns out that they missed being friends and the reason they were mean as kids was that they thought they were protecting our mothers from bullies. So, they decided to start over and be friends again," Akahana finished.

"So what you're saying even though your mothers are friends with those women the Jokers are still scary?" Alice asked.

"Well, the Jokers do seem okay a lot of the time, but then there are times that we are not sure if we can trust them..." Natsuki trailed off.

"There's also other scary person at the Circus…" the mouse child started.

"I'll ask again. Clowns?"

"No Ane, she probably means the headless man," Mamoru stated.

"What headless man?" Fumiko asked.

"We've never heard of him!" Takara declared.

"_**They say a long time ago, the Knight of Hearts was beheaded for a crime he didn't commit. It was actually someone from the Circus. He now wonders around the grounds, trying to find the person who caused his death. With his sword shielded in blood, he slices off anyone's head that has the unfortunate fate of coming across him. In dark alleys and at night, you can hear his sword scrape across the ground and the screams as he takes another victim…KYAAAAH!"**_

"_**AHHHHHH!" **_all of the rest of the girls screamed. Even Alice let out a small squeal.

"Wow! Looks like a got some of my mom's talent for making up stories!"

"Mamo-chan! That's mean!" Midori cried out. The agitated looks on her friends' faces agreed.

"Sorry, sorry," the young brunette offered.

Alice sighed, "I don't know about their being any revenge seeking spirits I do know one thing: that if you are scared of something, you can just stay close to me and the guys and Vivaldi. You know as well as I do that can be a bit _protective_ of those they care about, so you'll be fine. If I leave your side for miniature, I'll be sure to leave with your fathers."

"Really Onee-chan?" Natsuki asked.

"Cross my heart," the maiden affirmed, making an x over her heart.

"Alright, let's go to the circus!" the little rabbit cried out.

"Are you sure about that Suki-chan? What if we meet…?" the little mouse started.

"It's like Onee-chan said, I know everyone will try to protect us."

"Now let's go, if we hurry we'll still have some time to look around before the circus begins," Alice stated.

"_**YEAH!"**_ all the children cheered and started scrambling out of the room.

"_**GIRLS! WAIT!"**_

The crowd halted. Utako asked, "What's wrong Onee-san?"

Chuckling, the maiden answered, "Why don't you look at yourselves and see?"

All of girls started to look at each other, finding embarrassment. About to run outside, their bodies still covered in red dots and their pajamas.

Still giggling, Alice asked, "Let's get you girls ready, shall we?"

* * *

The circus thrived with color and sound. The faceless masses strolled from one stripped fabric covered stall to another, for food, fun and prizes. Many admired the performers showing of their skills, juggling, ball balancing, and fire breathing caused looks of surprised and amazement. Everyone seemed infected by the contagious, cheerful atmosphere, from worker to visitor.

Well…just about anyone.

The three Roleholders from Clover Tower care little for the noise or distractions. They didn't even bother to look around. As they set foot on the fairgrounds, they trudged to the tent to find that they were still early and had to wait. Their subordinates had left them it was just the three faced males.

"I wonder what the girls and Alice are doing now…" Nightmare wondered aloud.

"Probably Alice is taking care of the girls, trying to comfort them since they are so sick…" Julius commented.

"You're probably right," Gray agreed.

A moment of silence passed between the three males.

"I believe I left something, I'm going to have to go back and get it." The lizard stated and started to stroll away.

"Hey Gray, how come you get to skip work and I can't?" his boss whined.

"I'm not skipping out; I'm just going to check on the girls. Besides, I actually work."

Nightmare growled and Julius sighed.

"Lizard, we have to stay here." The blue haired Roleholder scolded.

"I know but…." Gray admitted. "I just can't stand the thought of them being like that while I'm here…"

The Clockmaster and Caterpillar did not reply. They could not argue with that. The stabbing feeling that started when they walked out of the tower, with each step it felt like the knife dug deeper and deeper into the depths of their hearts. The girls weren't far from their thoughts, imagining them coughing and moaning. For each man, a different girl seemed harder to bear the thought of them being sick than others. (Suzu: Three guesses who that can be, enjoy the rest of the chap

"Hey there aniue-samas!" A young voice called out.

The tower trio turned to find a young male sitting next to them, with a deep red cap on top of wild violet locks sticking out at the ends. He wore a ebony suit with matching shoes, all of the burgundy heart shaped buttons properly buttoned to all the way up to his chin. His hands kept wrestling a maroon tie; little black hearts covered the fabric, trying to free his neck.

"Who are you?" Julius asked.

"Oh that's right; we haven't met yet in this time." The boy stopped fiddling with the tie and got off his seat. In one swift motion, he took off his topper and bowed slightly. "My name is Masahiko. I'm staying at Heart Castle for a while. Nice to meet you."

"What did you mean by, 'met yet in this time?'" Nightmare asked, sounding a bit wary of the child.

The boy stuttered, "W…Well…what I meant is that I saw you earlier but I didn't get the chance to introduce myself."

Internally he sighed, _"Phew! I dodged a bullet there. Alice-aneue-sama would probably be mad at me if I told I was from the future…since she's trying to keep it a secret"_

That's when the plum irises blinked with realization.

That's when the lad asked, "Hey, where is Alice-aneue-sama and the girls? I thought they be with you guys." Twisting his head around, the prince tried to spot the females.

"You know them?" Gray asked.

"Yeah, I met Alice-aneue-sama at Heart Castle and I've known the girls since we were babies. So where are they?"

Glumly, Julius answered, "The girls are very sick and Alice stayed behind to take care of them."

"That's so…well at least I get some peace and quiet…"

"Why do you say that?" Gray questioned.

"Because if there is one thing I know about the female species, especially its youngest members, it's that you can love them with all your heart but sometimes they can be just plain annoying."

"How are the girls annoying?" The Clockmaster asked.

Masahiko gulped, "Well…they all sort of…have…this…kind of…crushes on me…" Flinching, he closed his eyes embracing himself for the worst.

"And?" the Caterpillar inquired.

"What?" the child questioned, opening his lilac eyes.

"Why did you stop all of a sudden?" the Lizard pondered.

"Oh it's nothing," the prince replied.

"_I forgot. Their paternal instincts haven't kicked in, I'm safe…" _the boy's mind sighed.

He continued, "I mean, if the girls were here, they would be pulling at my arms, trying to drag me around the place to wherever they want to go and keep bickering over who gets to take me they want to go and gets to sit next to me. Ah…women….they can be really annoying."

"_**MASAHIKO!"**_

"And here's an example now," Masahiko stated smugly, his hand directing to the sound of the voice.

That is when the Queen of Hearts appeared, wearing a dark jack with a rose on the front. Gray ruffles ended at the jacket and its sleeves. The flowing red shirt was cut low enough to still show off the small heart on her chest. A small thin black belt wrapped around her waist. She wore a charcoal skirt that wrapped around her around her legs, ending in dark ruffles, overlapping on one side, it was longer in the back, going to her shins tan the front, ending at the knees. On her feet, she wore black high heels. On her head, a hat hung crookedly, with a red ribbon around the brim. Sitting on the topper, were a few roses and a cross with a some dark lace hanging off the side. On her neck, the same black ribbon with the golden accessory with a long red jewel remained as usual.

"Masahiko! What were you thinking? We've told you're not supposed to go anywhere without someone next to you," she hollered, her hands on her hips.

"Sorry, sorry" the kid said, nonchalantly.

A red fingernail pointed itself at the tie, now a bit looser and crumpled due to the boy's hold on it earlier. "And look at that tie! Haven't we told you not to fuss around with it? We'll fix it up for you."

She crouched down and started to secure the piece of fabric, tightly around the boy's neck.

"It's too tight, it feels like a noose," the prince whined.

"It's not, you are exaggerating," the queen quipped.

The boy grabbed the dangling part of the accessory and pulled it so it was above his head. "Now it is." He tilted his head and let out his tongue to demonstrate his point.

Vivaldi huffed, "Honestly, we seriously don't where you get this from."

"Well, you like to chop off people's heads…" Masahiko muttered.

"Why did we get stuck with the one boy? We'd rather take on a dozen girls."

"Thank Mo…Ma'am, I feel so loved."

The monarch glanced around, "Where are those adorable girls anyway?"

The boy answered, "Apparently, they are sick and Alice is taking care of them."

"What? We knew men were worthless!" the female declared.

"What!?What did we do?" Nightmare asked.

"You insolent men left the girls when they needed you! How can you not consider yourselves worthless?"

"Well…" the incubus started but couldn't find anything else to say.

"There is nothing we can do, it's one of the Rules that we must attend the circus," Julius commented. He let out the next few words rather roughly, "No matter what."

Just when to moon had taken a turn for the worse, a pair of hands covered the Clockmaster's eyes.

"_**GUESS WHO?" **_a voice asked.

All eyes widened at the sound of a little girl.

"Fumiko?!" Gray questioned.

"Nope!" the voice giggled.

"Takara?" Nightmare guessed.

"Nope!" the voice chuckled, this time it sounded a little different this time.

"I know the answer to this riddle. It's both of them," Masahiko stated.

"_**CORRECT!"**_

In the blink of an eye, the two little girls jumped out from the behind the bench and used it to launch themselves at the boy.

The girl with red eyes, Takara, was dressed head to toe in black. From the small black bow on the top of her head, to her middle, shades of jet and ink wrapped around her body in a dress with bows, with small sleeves, that barley went pass her shoulder, which ended above her knees. A pair of dark boots went from her knees down.

Her blue-eyed cousin chose a similar fashion. A small white bonnet wrapped around her dark locks. Shades of cream and cloud lace almost covered her entire body, all but her hands and a pair of snow-colored small boots. The skirt, two shades of white repeating themselves, of the dress went to about her shins where the boots began.

"Masahiko! You're so smart! You can always tell us apart!" Fumiko beamed, snuggling the prince's cheek.

"It's true!" her red-eyed cousin agreed.

"It was actually quite obvious," the boy shrugged, "So what are you doing here?"

"The same reason you guys are here, to see the circus," Takara stated.

"I mean why you are here by yourselves?" the prince questioned.

"Who said anything about being here alone?" the blue Tweedle girl asked.

"_**FUMIKO! TAKARA!"**_

The small group gathered turned to see the familiar foreigner in the black outfit with matching boots, which she usually wore to the assemblies in the Country of Clover.

"How many times have times have I told you girls not wander off on you your own?" Alice inquired.

"We are not alone," Fumiko stated. She grabbed her cousin. "See we are here together."

"Let me rephrase that, how many times have I told you not to wander off?"

Without even blinking, the girl answered, "68."

_***SMACK!* *SMACK!***_

With lumps on their heads, the doubles sulked, while Alice scolded, _**"I SHOULD ONLY HAVE TO TELL YOU ONCE!"**_

Julius asked, "Alice, what are you doing here?"

"I came here with the girls to see the circus," the outsider answered.

"Yet the girls were very ill earlier…" Gray commented. "What happened?"

"Oh, I just gave them some medicine with some purple herbs that Gray uses in Nightmare's food, looks like it works Gray."

"Now if only Nightmare can eat some, he might get some work done," the lizard sighed.

"I don't care if I live to be one hundred, I'm not swallowing that stuff," the lord of Clover Tower whined.

Fumiko whispered to her cousin, "So that is what that gross stuff was…"

Under her breath, Takara stated, "No wonder why it looked awful. Now I'm really glad we didn't take that stuff."

Vivaldi broke the arguing adults and whispering maidens thoughts when she asked, "So Alice where are the other girls?"

"We are right Onee-chan!" the little rabbit's voice called out.

The first group spotted the gaggle of girls, all dressed up in new outfits, as they dashed towards them. Masahiko started to break out in a cold sweat. After glancing around, he dashed underneath one of the colorful fabric of the stalls.

"Aneue, why did you run off like that?" Akahana panted.

"Sorry girls, blame these two," Alice pointed to the doubles. "Amai, feel free the smack them."

"With pleasure!" the little hare grinned.

The look-a-likes tried to make a run for it, but they found themselves bound by an arm. With two loud thuds, they felt pain in their noggins.

"_**OW!**_ That's enough!" Takara growled, crossing her arms and pouting.

"_**IF YOU TWO KEEP HITTING US, ARE HEADS ARE GOING TO BE FLAT LIKE PANCAKES!"**_ her blue cousin whines, her arms failing about.

"Well, how about from now on, I pull your hair?" the hare suggested.

"_**THEN WE'LL GO BALD!" **_Fumiko complained.

"Okay, okay, that's enough girls," Alice stated, clapping her hands to gain attention. "We can talk about how to punish you two trouble makers later."

"_**ALICE-NEE!"**_ the cousins moaned.

The members of the crowd with clocks for hearts continued to watch the scene before them. Vivaldi felt a tug at her skirt, drawing her attention to the little white rabbit girl.

"Vivaldi-onee-chan! Onii-chans! What do you think of our new outfits? Do you think we look cute?" Natsuki questioned.

It was then the adults took in the dresses the girl wore for the occasion. Girls all seemed to follow a code where the fabric of their outfits would go to their knees, yet a whole array of colors and patterns stood before the Roleholders.

Pink bow seem to tie the long white ears the Natsuki's matching mop. Snow white and tulip pink stripes crisscrossed all around her body, a tiny crimson heart in each square the two shades met, with lace at the edge of the dress. Light peach gloves barley covered her wrists. A pair of cream socks starting below knees lead to a pair of azalea platforms.

On top of Mamoru's locks, free form its usual pony tail now touching her shoulders, were covered by a piece of pale green fabric, covered in black, blue, straw, and raspberries, each side of the cloth a little strip of chocolate lace. Over a long sleeved pale brown blouse, the girl wore a jumper skirt with vertical stripes of leaf green and dirt brown. In the brown areas, raspberries and strawberries grew abundantly, while blue and black berries were ready for the picking in the green. A pair of deep green low-heeled ankle shoes accompanied by small lacy ankle socks covered her feet.

Instead of daunting her usual proud black cap, Akahana wore a narrow piece of ribbon, the deep red-brown color of rosewood, leading to fabric roses that bloom on the right side of her head. While the color of the shoulders, a small part of the waist, the back and a good part of the skirt matched the ribbon, there were two parts, mostly frills, which were a dusty pink. One splash of frills on her chest, beneath a bow with a small rose in the center, while the other started beneath the dark thin fabric on the waist, ruffles of the same pale color flowed down in a triangle, covering most of the front. Two brown boots covered the low part of the shins, the laces covering most of the front to the place where the child's heel feet, resting on a square heel.

Amai wore two springs of purple flowers at the bottom of her carrot top, creating two low pigtails. The dress she wore was a bright purple covered in light pink cherry blossoms. Its sleeves were so long at the ends; some pink ruffled ribbon at the ends, the little hare could hide just about hide anything in them. A large thick lilac ribbon wrapped most of the middle. A pair of thick boots covered her legs.

Free from the braids, Utako's red hair flowed down to in waves to her shoulders. On top the red sea, sat a little straw hat with a small pure white gardenia flower rested on the brim. The girl wore a white blouse with a pale green jumper skirt over it, with small white spots all over with a darker green ribbon holding her waist; another gardenia bloomed in the front. With frilly socks tall enough to reach her knees, the girl wore mint boots.

On each ear on Tora's head, a black bow with dark violet polka dots stuck to their backs. A small black leather jacket covered an ebony shirt and plum purple tie. She wore a skirt that looked fur of a purple leopard. Leg warmers, one black and one lilac, kept the girls safe. Black platform mary janes donned on her feet.

Two straw-colored bows, one on each ear, replaced the sole green ribbon Midori wore. A simple pale green t-shirt covered the top part of her body, while a leaf colored skirt, with a small white ribbon at the end, covered her to the knees. Covering her legs were soft white socks with a pair of yellow flats with a white bow on each one.

"So Onii-sama, what do you think of my outfit?" Tama asked.

She spun around to show all sides of her new appearance. A jet-black bonnet with crimson lace covered the dark blue locks on her head. The dress Tama wore began with a crow black top with a cherry bow on her chest. Long night black gloves covered her arms, with dark lace, circling the elbows. A skirt of lacy ruffles, layers of ruby and jet black, one after another, lead down past her knees. Chunky dark platforms covered her feet perfectly.

"You look adorable, Tama," Gray replied, with an honest smile on his face.

The girl giggled and leapt into the lizard's arms, which clumsily caught her and kept her close. "I knew you you'd like it!"

Julius rolled his eyes at the scene. A tugging at his jacket pulled his eyes to see Aoi, two violet buns on top of her deep cobalt man flowing freely. Her dress started with a high collar, with two light blue buttons like objects, balls of string from one side of the violet dress's fabric connected to the other by loops of baby blue. On her chest, a swirling sky blue line with some lotuses bloomed. Larger blooms flourished at the bottom near her knees. Two small violet heels with some light blue bows on them settled on her feet.

"Onii-chama, what do you think of my outfit? Does Aoi look cute too?" She gazed down with a small blush on her face.

Julius's cheeks flushed the same shade and he let out a low rough, "Yes."

The little girl hugged the man's leg, his blush deepened and he rubbed the area between the two buns.

Last but not least, Yumeko's sliver locks flowed freely with a pale white ribbon on top of her head. Her dress was simple and silver with long sleeves with some lace at the ends. The skirt had light stripes of gray and ivory. White mary-janes with a socks with lace held her feet.

"We think that you all look adorable," the queen smiled.

"Thank you!" Natsuki cried and hugged the royal, with some friends joined her.

Tama and Aoi remained with their fathers, and then the lizard's daughter looked around and asked, "Hey where is Masahiko?"

The group looked around; the prince seemed to have vanished in thin air. Then they noticed a familiar voice calling.

"_**HUR~RY, HUR~RY, HUR~RY, STEP RIGHT UP FOLKS! POP A BALLOON, WIN A PRIZE!"**_

They found the sound coming from an apparently faceless boy his head slightly hanging, wearing the jester hat and jacket that all other employees had. Fueled by curiosity, the foreigner walked over.

The boy turned to her direction, but didn't put his face. "Hey there ma'am, would you like to try?" His hand rose up, offering some darts.

The maiden put her hand under the lad's chin and raised his face, revealing his violet eyes.

"Found you," Alice stated.

The prince shrugged, "So close." He took off his new clothes and offered them to a boy behind him, "Thank you."

The boy took the clothes, "No problem." He put on the jacket and hat and then offered the faced lad his dark jacket and red cap. "Here's your stuff."

After putting it on his stuff, Masahiko gave quick thanks and jumped over the counter. He and the young female started over to the group.

"Masahiko, what were you doing over there?" the queen asked.

"Just getting as much peace and quiet as I can before the swarm," the lad replied.

"Huh?" came out of several mouths.

"MASAHIKO~!" Natsuki shrieked and hugged the boy's arm. "You look so dashing, it's true! I can't take my eyes off you!"

Utako grabbed the other for herself, "She's right, you're looking pretty handsome today."

"Hey! Get your hands off him! I had him first!" the rabbit growled, clinging on the boy tighter.

"No!" the red head barked and tugged the boy towards her side.

While a bolt formed as the two glared at each other, Akahana's head came in between them, as she leaned her back against the prince's chest, her eyes looked up to him. "Hey Masahiko, you'll sit right next to me right?"

"No way! He's going to sit with me!" Natsuki claimed, pulling him closer to her.

"No with me!" Utako cried, tugging boy again.

"Well," Akahana started in a confident, somewhat smug tone. "I think he's going to sit with me." She turned around and put her arms around the boy.

Soon enough the air filled with claims, the sparks flew and grew until all the girls pounced at each other, the poor prince in the middle. A cloud covered the fight; occasionally, a head, ear or tail would break out, while they continued to bicker over the boy's seating arrangement.

As the adults watched, Gray asked, "Do they always fight like this?"

"Not usually, it's only like this when it's over him. Which I find a relief," Alice stated.

"How?" Julius questioned.

"If you guys fought over me like they do him, I wouldn't have to worry about dogging bullets all the time."

Out of the cloud, the lone boy used his hands to pull himself slowly towards the feet of the grown-ups. Away from the fight, the prince flopped over. His clothes, wrinkled and messy, tie no more than a fabric hanging on his shoulders and eyes dazed and tired, displayed his ordeal. Violet irises inched towards the older males.

"See, told you," Masahiko mumbled.

"_**OKAY! THAT'S ENOUGH!"**_ Alice roared.

At once, the fog dispersed and the girls stood up straight in a row.

"_**THIS ALWAYS HAPPENS WHENEVER YOU GIRLS GET NEAR MASAHIKO! DON'T YOU THINK YOU SHOULD GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO DECIDE FOR HIMSELF? JUST LOOK AT WHAT YOU FIGHT DID TO HIM!" **_

All the girls glanced over at the boy. Their faces, and if they had them, ears and tails drooped. "We are sorry."

The foreigner chided, "You should be apologizing to Masahiko."

The group of girls bowed slightly towards the prince, "We're are sorry, Masahiko."

The lad picked himself up and stretched, "its okay I'm used to it. Just from now on, if I'm going to be in the middle of your fights, please be gentler with me."

"Okay…"

Akahana stepped forward, from behind her back; she showed her hands holding the boys cap. "Here."

The boy took the cap, placed and adjusted it on his head, "Thanks."

"Here let me help you fix up your clothes," Alice offered. She knelt down close to the lad, tugging at pieces of clothes, straightening and pressing at wrinkles until he looked presentable again.

"There we go, much better," the maiden declared. "You look very nice today, Masahiko."

Embarrassment heated the prince, heating his skin red and making steam come off his head, like a boiling pot on the stove. Flustered, he stuttered, "Th…thank you, ma…ma'am…You…you look…k…very…la…lo…lovely…too…"

The foreigner smiled, "Thank you."

At that moment, Alice felt something stab her back. She knew if she turned around, arrows from the eyes of the girls would fly at her.

"_If this keeps up, I might have to learn how to sleep with one eye open," _her mind grumbled.

Her frustrations only grew when she held the dark red silk covered in black hearts in both hands. "I'm sorry Masahiko; I don't really know how to tie a tie."

"It's okay, Aneue-sama, I'll be fine without it," the prince smiled.

"We'll tie it for you," Vivaldi stated.

The boy turned blue at the thought and then did it literally, when the queen fastened the material around his neck.

"Um… Vivaldi… don't you think it's a little bit too tight?" the maiden questioned.

"He's a boy, he'll be fine," the royal assured.

Alice sighed, "I'm going to the restroom, and can you guys watch the girls for a bit?"

"Of course." Gray answered.

"Are you sure you won't get lost?" Mamoru asked.

"I'm more worried about you. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

* * *

"_Is what I said, but it looks like I'm lost again…"_ Alice sighed. _ "I think Ace's sense of direction is rubbing off on me…"_

She turned her head, in many directions, but it seemed the big top of the circus had vanished.

Mumbling, the female wondered, "I know it's around here somewhere…"

A young high-pitched voice spoke, "Hello there, ma'am. Are lost?"

The maiden turned towards the sound, "I actually am…" She lost her voice when she saw the speaker.

A little girl with long carmine pigtails going to her hips attached to her head by black and yellow ribbons. She wore a light gray long sleeved shirt with a dark red ribbon around her neck. A red and black stripped miniskirt wrapped around her waist. On her legs were long black boots with golden laces. Yet what surprised Alice were the two soft-looking eyes she had that were the color of blood.

"Anything wrong ma'am?" the girl asked.

"No…it's nothing…" the foreigner replied.

"Hey ma'am, would you like to come with me to the tent? The shows about to start and I'm in it," the child stated.

"Really? You would? That would be great!" the outsider grinned out of relief.

"Okay then." The lass smiled and then began dashing away.

"_**HEY, WAIT UP!"**_ Alice called out.

Dashing after the girl, weaving and bobbing through the crowd, the maiden remained focused on the red tails flying in the wind.

Halting suddenly, the child did a little slide, next to the sought out tent. The foreigner caught up with her a few seconds later.

"Why did you run off like that?" the elder female questioned.

"Well, the shows about to start so we can't be late. Besides, I'm sure your lover is tired of waiting for you," the girl smiled.

The teen's face flushed and turned away, "I don't have a lover."

"Oh, sorry ma'am, I just thought since you are so pretty, I thought there was someone who loved you," the girl explained.

"Well there are some people who do…but we are all just friends…" The foreigner explained, her face turning redder with every word. "Besides I'm not that pretty so stop with the flattery…"

"I'm not sure what flattery means, but I really think you are pretty, but I'm worried ma'am. You're soo pretty, that someone might try to lock you up," the girl stared directly at the outsider's marine eyes, a soft smile on her face.

The flush from the foreigner face fell when the she heard those words. She turned to face the girl. Only on word came out of her mouth, a soft, confused, "What?"

The child's smile seem to grow and the rubies sparkled as she started to explain. "Well, it happens a lot doesn't it? In fairy tales, beautiful maiden always seemed to be locked up somewhere, either in cellars or in towers with dragons guarding them. We keep pretty birds in cages. Beautiful paintings and shiny jewelry are always under lock and key at all times. I guess when we have something really pretty we can't help but want to lock it up and keep it safe and away from others."

Alice watched the girl take some of the hay colored locks and started to twirl it around her fingers. She started to ponder aloud, "I wonder where you'd get locked up in…in a cell with chains, a dusty cellar, or maybe a room full of pretty things like you." She looked up at the maiden, just smiling blissfully.

The sound of horns blasting out snapped Alice out of her trance, quickly turning her head in different to locate the sound. When she looked down, her hair was free for the little girl had vanished.

Alice felt many things, the embarrassment and exhaustion she felt earlier were now been buried by deep beneath fear and a strange coldness. Uneasiness filled her.

"_How can a girl with that gentle expression say things so terrifying…."_

While looking around, she noticed a crowd entering the tent.

"_That's right; everyone is waiting for me…"_

The maiden made her way towards the crowd, not realizing that, from underneath the stripped fabric, the girl watched her, the same expression on her face.

"You are very interesting ma'am, but I have some friends I haven't seen in a while that I want to play with," she said aloud. She stood up and started to make her way to her designated spot until it was her turn to shine.

Alice found the Tower group easily, with little hands waving. She found each girl sitting on their fathers' laps with an empty seat next to the trio of men.

"Where are all the other girls?" she asked, even though she was sure of the answer.

"They want to sit with the other Roleholders for some reason."

The foreigner grinned, she had been right. She sat down in the vacant chair, hoping the show would ease her troubled mind.

Nightmare noticed her thoughts, "Is something wrong Alice?"

"It's nothing, I ran to get here on time, so I'm a little tired," Alice stated.

The lord of Clover Tower wasn't satisfied with that answer and decided to listen in a bit to see what really happened, but the sudden darkness caught him off guard and distracted him.

A lone spotlight lit the blackness, revealing the owner of the circus.

He then declared…

"_**IT'S SHOWTIME!"**_

From that moment, the excitement in the audience grew with every flipping acrobat, roaring animal, and pie in a clowns face.

After many performances, Joker stood once again solely in the spotlight. "Ladies and Gentlemen," he addressed. "Boys and girls of all ages, I now introduce the final act of the show, two young talented girls with their own bag full of tricks."

Two lights appeared, holding a shadow each on a trapeze swing. One figure was sitting on the swing, legs crossed, with an arm holding a rope. Two thin longs spirals, each claiming a side of their owners head, curled down. The other figure stood up, leaning against a rope with its arms crossed, hair barley reaching her chin.

At that moment, a handful of hearts, with one ticking while the rest beating stopped for a moment out of shock.

* * *

Authors Note:

I'm back and I left you hanging off a cliff. I'm going to say that these next couple of chapters are going to pretty suspenseful, or at least I hope they'll be.

I'm warning you guys now….you'll probably have to wait a while for the next chapter…*Dodges whatever is thrown* You see in March, there is this job faire at a renaissance festival near my town. And if I get the job, I'll have to an accent class (I think) and it's a weekend job so it eats up my prime typing time beginning in April and ends on Memorial Day.

This will be my first job; I hope I can get it!

Now on to some not as sad or nervous-making news, the girls' dresses!

I originally wanted to put them dresses that would remind you of a princess, but then I remembered my fascination with Lolita style. It's sort of where you dress up like a doll, I guess that's the easiest explanation I could give you, there are many different types of styles, so I thought it would be perfect since I have so many little girls!

Natsuki-Sweet

Mamoru and Akahana-Classic

Amai-Wa Lolita

Fumiko-Shiro Lolita

Takara-Kuro Lolita

Utako-Country Lolita

Tora-Punk Lolita

Midori-Casual Lolita

Tama-Goth Lolita

Aoi- Qi Lolita

Yumeko- this dress isn't really a Lolita style, since it's based on a long nightgown I think that maybe you could call it pajama lolita.

One last thing before I go! Can someone find it in the kindness in their heart to put this story on TV tropes? I tried to do it myself, but I couldn't do it…. Much appreciated!

Well, I see you people (hopefully) in June, when I'm a high school graduate!

Don't forget to review!

Daisuki~


	30. Beware of Black, White, and Red!

I just finished my first job, it was great working at Scarborough. There were great times, good times, bad times, and just plain weird and boring times. I'm also finally finished with high school so now college here I come…and all the headaches that go along with it.

Enough with my life, onto the story.

* * *

Daisuki Papa Chapter 30

The Most Terrifying Show on Earth! Beware of Black, White, and Red!

Both shadows stood up and clutched their strings, then they started to move. After a few swings, the girls jumped from the trapeze, the lights still covered them. After a few flips, the two shadows landed right next to the spotlights on Joker, allowing them to be colored for the first time.

Both dressed just like the girl that guided Alice to the circus; however, a mask, with small red studs at the edges, covered both of their eyes. The girl with curls wore an ivory mask while the shorthaired girl wore an ebony mask.

Alice pondered, _"Could one of those girls be th one who helped me earlier? I can't tell with those masks…one's hair is too thin, if __**she**__ had turned her hair into curls, they would definitely be bigger. Yet the other girl's hair is just too short."_

As the foreigner continued to wonder, the girls started to shiver, some started to cling onto the chests of the men they sat on. If they were questioned, the answer would either be that it was nothing or they were just cold and their little hands would continue to shiver.

Sitting alone a chair, the prince squeezed the arm of the chair. His violet irises scowled at the performers in the spotlight.

The queen noticed the children's change especially her son's expression, "Masahiko, what's wrong?"

The prince faced his mother, a solemn look on his face. He began to whisper, his voice slightly pleading, "Mother, please listen to me, no matter what happens, we have to keep the girls safe and in our sights at all times."

The queen, a bit shocked at the boy's expression, "Why, what's wrong?"

Glaring eyes focused on the stage, he stated, "Let's just say that there is a lot of bad blood between our girls and the girls on stage." His eyes returned to the queen, "I also have a favor to ask you."

Not too far from the eerie dark mood of the audience, the spotlight continued to beam happily.

The white masked girl spoke first, "My name is Miaka. I hope to enchant you with magic today."

"The name's Tori, prepare to be bewitched!" her look alike in black smirked.

With snaps from both girls, the lights turned off. They came back on when there was another snap, only the girl in the white mask remained. Above her head, two decks of cards, the right displayed a black swirly design while its twin showed a red one. She set both of them on the ground and gave them a slight push. With that, the piles left a piece of themselves, slowing shrinking until they lay out in lines on the ground. After kneeling down, Miaka flicked the first cards causing them to turn over. This motion caused a domino effect, every card would flip over due to its neighbor's motion, continuing until all the cards revealed either hearts, spades, clovers, or diamonds, with some faces in the crowd. After quickly dashing to the other side of the lines, the performer gently pushed the cards. The soft action caused the lines to become a deck once more. After meeting the decks, the girl then tossed them into the air. After Out of thin air, a red piece of fabric appeared in her hands, with a corner in each fist. The cloth then flew into the air, floating a bit higher than the cards. Miaka snatched the cloth and brought it close to her, the cards still inside. Unfurling the cloth, she revealed that the cards had escaped their prison without anyone noticing.

This was met with a thunderous applause.

Miaka clutch all the cloth and made several quick bows. She set down the flannel and walked away from the piece, a spotlight following her. After stopping and turning, the young performer clenched her right hand and then started to move her thumb. Following the finger, red-backed cards appeared, their edges overlapping; when she was finished she held a fan of cards. She did the same motion with her left fist until her hand held an ebony cousin to the crimson. Miaka rubbed the tips of her new fans and then let them fly, landing is two separate piles. With a snapping motion void of sound, individual cards, matching colors to the families before, started to appear and be tossed at the piles.

Suddenly Miaka's nose started to twitch, "Please excuse me, I have to blow my nose."

The girl reached into her grey sleeve and pulled out three fabric pieces, red, white, and black, tied together.

"My dad always ties me a bunch of handkerchiefs together so that way I don't lose them."

Some chuckles emerged in the crowd.

She continued to pull, more cloths appeared until a long snake of them coiled around her feet.

"I really don't know what would happen if I ever lost them all, but since he's a magician, I guess he might cut me in half and **wouldn't** put me back together again."

The laughter got louder now.

When it looked like she was about to pull out the last piece, the rest of her rope seemed stuck. The girl started to pull at the fabric, finally freeing a bouquet of red roses tied to the colored braid. She shrugged her shoulders and simply tossed the flowers into the crowd. The child took the last piece of the rope, white, and blew her nose nosily.

Afterwards the girl sighed, "Ahh! That's better! Now where was I? Oh Yes!"

After strolling over the right side of cards, Miaka straighten them out until they were perfectly rectangles. The performer bent herself that the tips of her curls nearly touched the ground. When she was up right, she snapped her gloved fingers, causing the light over her to turn out. The next second the light focused on Tori in her dark mask, standing on the other side of the cards.

Taking the black deck in her hands, the girl with short cropped hair started to shuffle it, occasionally setting a card aside without looking at the other side. When seven cards lay outside of the rest in a row, on the red flannel left behind from her partner, she started the process on the red deck and finished when a row of red sat beneath a black partner.

Gripping the corners of the fabric, the performer pulled it causing the family to flip over, revealing their value, most were faces with a few symbols in the crowd. The girl set the fabric back on the cards. With two small claps, something popped up where the cards stood causing mountains tops in the cloth completely covering the objects completely.

When the cover was off, fourteen ghost white doves stood, some looking around while others pecking under their wings. One half of the birds had feathers with tips as red as roses, while the other had tips as black as ink.

Cheers and whistles rang in the audience.

With a small whistle from Tori's lips, the doves faced her ready for her orders. The clap of her grey covered hands sent the birds into the air, circling around the girl several feet above the air.

The spectators followed the flight, focusing all their attention on the flying performer. A whistle from Tori snapped them out their trances. The blood tipped doves suddenly shot up, startling all even causing a few to jump. As they continued to climb, the birds formed a line. Once they were high above their trainer, where everyone in the crowd could see they began to curve up, bend down for a second to rise up then curved back down to a point where they started their path. Soon, a red heart floated above the crowd.

The ink black dyed feathers birds didn't sit still; they started to form their own shape as well. It appeared to be an upside down heart at first but the after one curve they made three sides of a rectangle and then made another curve meeting at the tip. A black spade formed so those who only saw a line of red doves could see a shape.

After a few minutes, the figures turned so that all in the crowd could see the other shape. With another whistle from the girl, the curves of the heart started to straighten and the curves and point of the spade started to round out. A red diamond and black clover hovered and revolved much like the other card suits.

One clap shattered the shapes, scattering the birds into the audience. Each bird gently fluttered, hovering above the seat before a Roleholder, with some exceptions, causing the girl in his lap to squeeze herself closer her future father. When the dove landed on the seat a puff of chalky white smoke seemed to burst from them, causing high pitch screams and practically squeezed stomachs. When the fog cleared, the birds had vanished, but there was a card near their feet. Each picked up their card; the list is as follows

King of Hearts –Himself

Queen of Hearts- Herself

Knight of Hearts- Ace of Hearts

White Rabbit- Jack of Hearts

Mad Hatter- King of Spades

March Hare- Ace of Spades

Bloody Twins-Jack of Spades

Clock Maker- King of Clovers

Caterpillar- Jack of Clovers

Lizard-Ace of Clovers

Duke-King of Diamonds

Cheshire Cat- Ace of Diamonds

Sleepy Dormouse-Jack of Diamonds

When the Roleholders asked the lass in his lap what was wrong, they would get no answer and only got held tighter. The men's attention turn when the rest of the audience applauded wildly. Miaka was back on stage, next to Tori, both of them bowing and waving to the crowd. The house lights went on, brightening all of the inside of the tent, signaling the end of the show. The two red heads dashed away into an entrance covered by two flaps, each holding a half of a white mask.

As the faced audience rose and started to leave, the girls sort of grouped around Alice's legs.

"I see, so you were scared of those girls as well…" the maiden stated.

"Yeah…" Natsuki mumbled. "Can we go home now?"

The foreigner wondered what had happened between the two sets of girls. Yet she decided it was best to get her girls home now and ask questions later.

"Yeah, how about I make you something nice when we get home, okay?" the teen offered.

Some of the girls nodded while others just let out a small smile, starting to follow Alice out of the big top.

As Vivaldi started out, she found her skirt snagged by something. She found Masahiko, with some of his skirt in his hand. Her violet eyes noticed that his other hand held some fabric of a pair of black pants. Her gaze followed the body up until she found the King's face. She turned away, a small light pink blush on her cheeks.

"Looks like you have whatever the girls have. Would you like one of us to carry you back to the Castle?" the king asked.

The boy shook his head. "I'll be fine."

However the royal pair would not notice the chain that linked them missing until Alice would cry out that the girls were gone and she couldn't find them.

* * *

"W…where are we?" Midori asked.

"I think we all wish we knew," Utako answered.

"I guess we must have gotten lost in the crowd," Aoi guessed.

"How? I mean we were with Alice-onee-chan and our papas the whole time!" the white rabbit child cried.

"I wish I knew, Suki-chan," Yumeko sighed. "But I'm sure we'll be fine…I think…"

"Well, with my professional experience, I say we ask someone!" Mamoru declared.

Akahana said, "Alrighty then, Miss Explorer, in your professional opinion, who do we ask?"

Indeed the girls definitely were lost. Instead of bright colors, cheers, noises, and people surrounding them, shreds and rags dangled in the soft occasional breeze where proud happy tents once stood with colors faded, patches obviously sown into striped skin and some of the metal bone of the canvases showing. Even though the circus was affected by no season, clouds, ready to cry, huddled close together. No life could be found, only the breeze seemed to speak.

"_**CAW! CAW!"**_

"_**KYAHH!"**_

All the girls jumped at the sound, the fluttering of wings caused them to shiver. They found a crow perched on an exposed part of support of a metal beam. It pecked at its wing, stared at the girls, yelled at them a few more times and then took off.

A few moments, the girls let out a collective sigh.

Mamoru then beamed, "Come on girls, no need to be scared! We are only a little lost?"

Tora, glanced around her surroundings and raised an eyebrow, "A little?"

The brunette shrugged, "Okay, maybe a bit more than a little, but all we have to do is to look for someone and ask them how to get to the main road and then we'll be just fine!"

The hare child stuttered, "W...Wh…Who said I was scared!"

Two objects went down the girl's back, causing her brown ears to straighten when she screamed.

"_**You see, you are scared!" **_the Tweedles declared.

"Now come on you two," Tama scolded, "We are all scared. Mamo-chan's plans sounds good, except for one problem."

"What's that?" The chestnut haired girl asked.

Her dark blue haired friend admitted, "Even with directions, you are bound to get lost."

Mamoru thought for a second then beamed, "It's okay! If I just stick to Aoi-chan, I won't get lost." She grabbed the arm of her slightly smaller friend.

"Huh?" Aoi let a sound of confusion.

"Okay, let's go, take care of Mamo-chan!" Utako declared.

As the group on started on their quest, Aoi shifted her eyes towards the girl holding her. She let out a sigh, "Some things never change."

Continuing the journey, the girls walked among the corpses of tents, crows sitting on the beams like vultures waiting for their meal to die. With every step, the air seemed to get colder for the girls shivered with every step now.

"Hey, look at that!" Natsuki cried out.

Her finger pointed to what her ruby eyes had found. The only tent had remained intact, not only that it seemed to glow. Black stripes that shined like silky black hair stood next to stripes the color of freshly fallen, untouched snow. A bright red flag shined happily and waved, though no wind touched the girls' cheeks. Zipped up tight, the tent sealed its contents, its opener too high for the girls to reach. A worn wooden sign, standing on two legs, waited nearby.

On the sign, elegant black swirls these words.

_Tent of Longings, Find your Heart's Desire Inside_

"What's a longing?" the red Tweedle asked.

"What's a desire?" her marine cousin questioned.

"Longing is a feeling you have when you really want something. Desire is something you want, usually what you are longing for," Akahana answered.

A strange gust of cold wind started, trying to take the girls with it, some pieces of clothing and hair (some girl's ears and tails also tried to follow. The children huddled together to keep themselves in place. The crows that stood above them took the skies. Their chants soon filled the ominous air.

Natsuki started to sniffle, holding back her tears. "I think…right now…want…I…desire…is my mama!"

The rest of the girls let small sounds of agreements. For a moments they let their minds wander back to their memories of their mothers. Those warm arms holding them then, provided a warm coat for them now.

"_**CAW!"**_

Until one jab tore through the fabric.

"_**GYAHH!"**_

The white rabbit's friends' heads turned towards their friend.

"_**NATSUKI!"**_

They discovered a cut on their friend's face, some blood rolling down her cheek.

"_**CAW! CAW!"**_

The birds circled around the air above the girls. The creatures would drive down and use their sharp beaks like knives to attack the girls. Any piece of skin that could be attacked was aimed at. Often succeeding, each attack would lead to another cut letting loose some blood from the girls, as their eyes let loose some tears. The girls tried to hide themselves with their hands and huddling close together, some of the older ones tried to cover the younger ones with their bodies. However these attempts were futile

Utako lifted herself from her two friends from the Amusement Park a bit, to see that the zipper of the tent before them was now opened, the two striped flaps shook wildly in the wind.

"_**LET'S GO IN THERE!"**_ She yelled over the crows own screams.

Akahana turned her head away from Takara's deep green locks to ask, _**"YOU THINK THAT WILL PROTECT US FROM THESE BIRDS?" **_

"_**IT'S THE ONLY PLACE WE GOT! COME ON!" **_the red cried and started to take the hands of her smaller friends under her and dashed towards the flaps. The rest of her friends soon followed the girl into her the tent.

As soon as the last piece of skirt entered the tent, the zipper, started to climb its own steps all by itself, until it reached the top. The birds stopped cawing and resumed their posts on the old tents again. They remained quiet, like soldiers ready for orders. Even the clouds seemed to clear out of the sky.

A voice called out, _**"DINNERTIME!" **_

Tori, mask less now her sharp looking carmine eyes exposed to the world, dashed through the area, a large red and white striped paper bag full of popcorn over each shoulder. The yellow kernels spilled all over the ground, the birds early swooping down to land near the rows of food.

Miaka casually strolled, her own blood red orbs shining softly, "Thank you for getting the girls in my tent, I wouldn't have been able to get in with my illusions alone."

"Yeah, yeah, I got them all in, so _**now **_will you tell me what you are planning?" Tori asked.

"My, don't you remember what that sign I put up said?" Miaka questioned.

"Uh…" her friend glanced over to sign, dashed over and stood before for a few seconds and return to reply, "Now I do."

A palm met the spiral haired girl's face, "I really hope my dad's right… and we really aren't related."

"Hey! If you're so smart, then tell me what's so special about this tent and why did you have my birds herd _**those **_girls into it?" the short-haired girl snarled.

Smiling happily, the lass with the longer locks started to explain, "It seems like every day we have to watch and fear that we will lose something precious to us. Inside the tent will help our _friends_to step inside our shoes to see what it's like."

"I don't know how shoes fit into all of this, but I think I guess what's going on," her counterpart admitted.

Miaka simply shrugged her shoulders and sighed, "Well, it's a start."

Tori whistled and called out, "Yo Clyde!"

A crow, rather larger from the rest, lifted his head from the popcorn and crowd and dashed over to his tamer's side. She kneeled down and offered her arm to the bird, which he hopped on and was taken for a ride, stopping right at the girl's face.

"Clyde, if anyone else comes around, make sure that you give them hell!" the bird master commanded.

The circus' girl gasped, "Really Tori-chan! Such language!"

The prison's girl twirled her free hand and placed it near her middle as she bowed and started her monologue, "Sorry Prima donna-sama. I have forgotten that **you **were born in the spotlight of the circus, with all the applause and **I** was born in the dark cells of the prison with the rattling of chains to welcome me into the world."

Miaka rolled her eyes, "And you call **me** the dramatic one."

Tori chuckled, "I always knew I was ready for the big top."

She looked over at the fowl at the arm, "Now remember give them hell, but if bullets fly, you fly straight back home, okay?"

The bird tilted its head and then took a little of his mistresses dark red hair in its beak and pulled it softly before letting it go.

The girl smiled, "That's my boss, now get some dinner before everyone else eats it."

Clyde flew off his perch and landed near some of his family. After a few pushes and pokes, he managed to make a spot for himself at the dinner floor.

The spiral hair gal grinned, "So you can smile like that off-stage. I thought as soon as you left the spot light, you put on your 'Don't talk to me I'm a grump face' until you got to the prison."

Her look-a-like with bobbed hair huffed, face as red as a tomato. "Shut up."

The circus' child giggled, "Now come on, we can go home and wait for your maytr."

The prison girl mumbled, "Murder, a group of crows is called a murder. And you call me the birdbrain."

As they started to walk, Miaka started to ponder, "You know, I wonder where that prince of theirs is at. You think he would have been here earlier and save them."

"Who cares? It makes it easier for us to put your plan into action."

"Well…he is kinda cute."

"Yeesh, how can you like that goody-two shoes type?"

Her friend shrugged, "I don't know, I just think he's cute. It's been a while since we've talked."

"That's right." Tori cast her eyes on the tent. "It's been a while."

Miaka also glanced at the tent. She continued to smile although the gaze of the girl seemed sad. "Yeah, it's been a while."

"So how was Alice? Same as usual?" the short haired girl asked. "Bet she didn't recognize you without the wig."

The longer haired lass placed her finger on her chin in thought, "She seemed okay, though I have to admit she seemed more absentminded and a bit more…_**lost**_ than I have seen her."

"We'll, I guess it makes sense, but it's nothing we've got to worry about. It's our dads' job to _**play **_with her," the prison girl added a chuckle at the end of her words.

"Yeah, it makes sense, since she's the one that started it all," the circus girl added in a soft voice.

The two stopped at tree with a hole at its bottom.

"Well, it's been fun playing in the past."

"Stinks that we didn't really tell your dad who you were, bet that would made him faint!"

"Oh well, if we get the chance, we can tell him the next time, but we better hurry home before the hole closes."

"Yeah." Tori sighed and turned back to the tent, "See ya later!"

"Have fun girls!" Miaka added in a softer voice and waved at her creation.

The girls slipped into the opening, sending the Joker girls back from whence they came. As soon as they left, a piece of fabric started to slice itself apart from the tent.

* * *

As soon as she entered, Natsuki found herself alone surrounded by grey walls with a path, the only light shining on her. She started to follow it to find more paths and walls.

"H…Hey where is everyone?" the little rabbit asked aloud. Her echo seemed to be her own reply.

"Hana-chan? Aoi-chan? Uta-chan? Anyone?" the small albino called out. She continued to stroll around, hoping to find someone, anyone.

"Natsuki? Natsuki?" a voice called out, the last one the girl expected.

"_Could it be…?"_ The child pondered.

Dashing off, the lass listened to the voice, twisting and turning around. As she continued, the voice grew in volume. When she turned around a corner, she saw a lone figure, a pink dress covering its body and long flowing hair. The girl couldn't tell you what the color was, but it definitely looked familiar. So she took a chance, the rabbit cleared her throat and said one word.

"M…Mama?"

The adult female turned to face the girl.

Those familiar eyes, loving and warm, that kind smile, that face in general made the little rabbit gasped.

"Natsuki…" the woman sighed softly, placing her hands in front of her mouth.

Dashing with her arms out wide, Natsuki cried out with tears in her eyes, "Mama!"

"Natsuki!" her mother ran, her own eyes tearing up.

When the two were only a few steps away, the woman kneeled down and the girl jumped into her arms. On contact, the two held each other close.

"Mama! Mama!" the rabbit clung onto the woman. Snuggling in the woman's chest, more water continued to fall from her closed eyes.

"Natsuki, what happened to you? You are all cut up! Don't worry, Mama and Papa will take good care of you."

"I'm sorry Mama! I know you and Papa told me not to leave the castle grounds, but I wanted to win, so I wandered away. If I never left…I'm sorry I didn't listen….I'm sorry!"

A gentle hand began to gently rub the snow white ears, "It's alright Natsuki I forgive you. It's not your fault that we got separated…Wonderland is a wonderful….and mysterious place, even to this day there are somethings that Mama doesn't quite understand. I'm not sure that even if you stayed near us, you might not have ended up here, but that doesn't matter now. You, my little white present, are right here in my arms, and I'll make sure you will never have to be alone again." The woman leaned away so that way her daughter can see her face. A warm smile on her face she added, "Right?"

Happy that her mother was back in her life and rubbing her ears again, the white rabbit's eyes refilled but she smiled and nodded. She knew that she'd probably cry when she got home where the rest of her family was probably waiting for her. Now, she just wanted to enjoy her mother's warmth and cherry blossom perfume, so she hugged her parent relishing in what she missed.

"Now let's go home, my little white present, I bet you'll surprise everyone when they see you," The woman stood up and offered her soft hand.

"Yeah!" the little girl agreed and set her smaller paw inside her mother, who wrapped around her hand easily.

Only a few steps, that's all they took, before Natsuki heard a gasp and…

"_**NATSUKI!"**_

She felt a push on her back, causing her to fall on her stomach.

_***PLORTCH!***_

"_Ahh…"_

These sounds caused Natsuki to lift her upper half by her hands and turn her head. Her red eyes widened with shock.

A shining blade stood in her mama's back surrounded by deep red.

"_**MAMA!"**_

The rabbit lass stood up and dashed up to the woman lying on the ground and knelt right next to her. The woman's long hair covered her face.

"Mama…?"

Shaking itself, a small hand started to shake a shoulder. Yet the lady only responded by following the motion give to her.

The small hand and its partner started to push on the body until it was on its side.

The girl let out another gasp at the woman's now paling face. The pupils of her eye covered up most of the iris, her mouth slightly ajar. Slowly, he rabbit's small hand graced over a cheek until it reached the middle of older female chest. Nothing moved underneath the child's paw…

At that moment, memories the two woman shared came back to Natsuki…

_What story would like me to read to you today?_

_I'm sorry, Natsuki, I guess I'm just tired._

_Thank you so much Natsuki! This branch is lovely! It's just what I wanted._

_Now don't you try using your 'wabbit' face on me. It's not going to work this time. …I mean it._

_Okay, okay, why do you have to be as cute as your papa?_

_Natsuki! I've told you not to interrupt while I was working! Look at what you've done!_

_It's okay. We can fix it together, okay?_

_Happy birthday, my little white present. _

_Natsuki, my beloved white present, I love you so much._

All Natsuki could do was just stare at the ground, not bothering with the tears in her eyes, and said only one word over and over.

Mama…Mama…Mama…

* * *

Searching through the loud crowd, Masahiko continued to dash around, holding something underneath his jacket.

"_Come on girls, where are you?"_

At each new corner and path, the prince would carefully scan around. Yet it all seemed to be in vain.

After loosening the strangling tie and fanning himself with his hat, the boy plopped himself down on the ground, his body stretched out. He touched the hidden item, making sure it was still there.

"_Whoever is up there, if you send me a sign to tell me where they are, I promise I will never ever pick on another girl as long as I live."_

"_**CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW!"**_

"_That works!"_

The sound and thought sent the lad on his feet at a racing pace, a large beam on his face.

"_By the way, I'm not sure if I can keep that promise. It's just too much fun."_

He continued to sprint, his ears straining to hear his guide, as he continued to travel the colors seemed to fade. The boy glanced around at his surroundings and slid to stop. After glancing around at all the decomposing fabric corpses, he gulped. The prince reached underneath his jacket, into the side of his pants to pull out a long black and red pistol.

"_I borrowed this from Mother…I hope that I don't have to use it."_

Slowly, Masahiko started to wander around the grounds, a little shake to his steps.

"_**CAW!"**_

"_**AAH!"**_

The prince jumped, the gun nearly fumbling out of his hands. He held it up shakily, swinging it to find the creature that made the noise. When he met a crow, who ignored him to fix its feathers, the lad started to laugh out of relief and wiped his brow with his left hand.

"Nothing to worry to about, just one little black bird," he panted.

However his one little black bird, seemed to have become five, all yelling at him, with their wings ready to take off.

"Whoops. Spoke too soon," the boy let out a nervous chuckle and started to dash away, the birds then sought after him, hovering over his head.

He continued to run until a large gap in one tent let him jump in for shelter. The birds then started to swoop to get inside, but two bullets caused them to scatter into the skies.

The boy peeked out of the hole, sighing when his hunters were out of sight. He climbed out, continuing his quest. It seemed to be a short, nerve shaking trip until he spotted something that made his mechanical clock drop.

It looked like crows everywhere, barely a gap could be seem between the birds. Covering the ground, the tents' remains, even they were even fowl occasionally flying around the air.

"_Out of the frying pan, into the fire…"_ the lad mentally sighed. That's when he spotted the one area that seemed nearly void of birds. A black and white stripped tent, worn but in better condition than its neighbors, with a drooping flag, had only one crow, the largest of the murder, sitting on it. Instead of being able to see through the opening of the pavilion, this one was sealed tight with a shining silver zipper.

"_Could that be…?" _The boy crawled into another wreck, making sure the feathered guards couldn't see in the canvas. On the ground, he started to ponder. _"The girls are probably in there, but do I get there…if I just charge blindly with bullets flying, I'll just waste my shots and turn into bird feed…"_

After a few moments of sitting, a light bulb seemed to come on above his head. The prince checked around, making sure that none of the birds noticed him or his target. Peeking out of the fabric, the barrel of the gun aimed and let loose its ammo. Several tents across from him finally fell after standing weakly for so long. The birds on and near them scattered to the skies for safety. From the boy's point of view, all of the guards fled over to the scene and spread out to find the culprit, leaving black feathers everywhere.

"Phew…" the lad sighed, "Now time to get the girls."

Scurrying over to the zipped up tent, Masahiko looked up at the seal way above his head. Setting his weapon, on the ground beside him. He tried one jump, just to try, and failed as he expected to, though he was impressed he got half way past the silver line. He then jumped again, this time clutching to the fabric which barley held his weight without ripping. Slowly the child climbed until it reached the top of the zipper placing his right hand on the slider. When he pulled…

_**ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!**_

It seemed like the loudest sound he ever heard, not even his mother's yells could compare to the sound. The lad glanced to make sure no bird had heard the sound. When the cost remained clear, he continued to pull, the sound only seemed to increase in volume with every tug.

_**ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!**_

"_Just a little more…"_

_**ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!**_

"_Come on…"_

_**ZIIIIIIIIIIIP!**_

"_Why does this have to be so loud!?"_

_**ZIP!**_

The prince blinked his violet eyes when he realized he was on the ground, the two jaws unclenched, leaving the dark inside open. Relief released from the boy's lips and his curiosity spiked, deciding to glance into the darkness within the canvas, hoping to find his friends.

_**CAW!**_

Masahiko turned away to find the large black crow, the one who rested on the tent before. They beady black stare at the boy, just waiting for him to make a move.

The boy glanced down at the gun, lying next to him. When he started to crouch down, his hand aiming towards the weapon, the bird darted for his hand. Before the lad could react, the fowl's black beak broke through his skin, some blood trickled out. The lad quickly grabbed the gun with his healthy but unsteady hand and tried to aim at the bird before

_**CAW!**_

The leader of the crows had commanded the army to come and attack their enemy.

_**CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW!**_

The soldiers responded to his call and soon all the birds the boy saw before came at him a swarm. Beaks like knives jabbed all around the prince's body, bleeding cuts all over from his face to. The ruler of roost charged himself at the boy again, this time aiming much higher. The bird stabbed at the messy purple locks and the skin beneath. With this blow, not only did he receive the usual red award, but the child also knocked onto the ground, barely conscious.

Everything blurred and lagged in Masahiko's eyes, fuzzy black objects circle the air above him now. He glanced at the gun, still in his left hand. He slowly raised his hands, his right hand now held the trigger, some blood fell onto his face, blending in with the crimson liquid on his face. He pulled it several times, not really aiming, just trying to make a sound. At the blasts, the birds scattered from their tunnel pattern, every bird for his or herself now.

"…_but if bullets fly, you fly straight home, okay."_

The words of his mistress rang though Clyde's mind. He started to order his troops, cawing loudly. A stream of black birds soon headed towards the woods, the boss following behind. They found the hole the two girls went into and flew right into it. Once Clyde was in, the hole simply filled itself with bark, making it seem like as if it never appeared in the first place.

The violet eyes watch the flock until it had flown away, slowly his vision turned dark, both from the black feathers and his exhaustion…

* * *

The group of adults dashed to the sound of the blasts, not caring how grim their atmosphere became, they only stopped when they found a clearing covered in jet black feathers. A figure buried underneath some darker pieces of the fluff with a crimson and onyx gun laying on top of it.

"_**MASAHIKO!" **_ Vivaldi cried.

The queen quickly dashed to the form, knelt beside it, and gently cradled it, with her foreigner friend beside her. The dark quills fell from the boy, revealing his scratches. A shiver went down the men's' spine, worrying about the girls', especially one in particular for each one of the males.

"_**MASAHIKO! MASAHIKO! MASAHIKO!" **_ The female monarch cried.

Randolph couldn't believe his mostly closed eyes. He hadn't seen the queen so emotional, besides angry, in several years. The king slowly moved towards the scene and knelt on the other side of the boy. He began to rub a battered cheek.

In calm voice he pleaded, "Masahiko, please…"

At the sound, Masahiko began to peel his eyelids open, the image of three Vivaldis, three kings, and three Alices quickly circling around him, caused the lad to blink a few times. When he saw one king, he let out a small "Father?"

His majesty let out a small gasp, but it was ignored by the prince when he spotted the queen above him, "Mother?"

Vivaldi's red lips curved into a smile, "Yes?"

Before the king could express his bewilderment, the boy let out some small wheezes, "I think…the girls…are…in…that….tent."

"I'll get them," Alice declared.

As she got up and started, something held her arm back, the outsider turned to find the white rabbit holding her back.

"Let me go Peter! I have to get the girls!"

"No my dear, it's too dangerous. Who or whatever did this to them could be in there."

Amazingly, most of the other male Roleholders agreed with him. The two royals were too preoccupied with the child in the queen's arms.

To their surprise, when they entered, the men found the girls scattered across the dark floor, simply sitting on the ground, just staring at it.

Each man slowly approached his smaller female look-a-like. They start to talk to their girl, reassuring her that all was fine, but she turned to face the Roleholder, he would gasp.

The eyes of the girl were clouded and blank, turning the lass into a broken doll, not really seeing was right in front of her. Instead of seeing a man, wracked with worry, some even shaking the child out of their trance, calling out her name, she saw a man, gently smiling and softly saying her name. She saw her…

_**PAPA!  
FATHER!  
OTOU-SAN!**_

_**OTOU-CHAN!  
DADDY!**_

_**OTOU-SAMA!  
DAD!  
TOU-SAN!**_

_**POP-CHAN! (X2)  
**_

_**POP!**_

_**TOU-CHAN!**_

With each holler, the girl would grab his neck and begin crying into a shoulder, blubbering apologizes.

At the sound of sobs, the foreigner entered the tent, a little surprised by the sight of all perplexed faces on the men. When the teen advanced towards the men, she would gently rub the locks of the child, snapping her back into reality. Each girl would then slowly let go of the man's neck and scurry over to the outsider.

Once all the girls crowded by Alice's feet, everyone left the tent. The moment the last person left from beneath the stripped canvas, it collapsed. Everyone then saw how aged the canvas was. The girls spotted their prince and glommed all over him, until he begged for air. The queen declared that the children would be staying at the castle to rest, and as if some sort of miracle occurred, the rest of the Roleholders agreed with her. As they left for their domains, the men couldn't stop the image of the child calling to them that way, continuing to glance at the child until they would be out of sight. The children felt the same way and would do the same as their parent until their eyes couldn't see them again.

* * *

In the queen's private chamber, dressed for bed, the girls crowded around the prince, bandages covering their injuries. The prince especially, with a long wrap around his head.

"Are you sure you are alright, Masahiko?" his cousin asked.

"Yeah, just like you, in a time period or two, I'll just be just fine*****," the prince affirmed.

"That's our Masahiko!" Amai grinned. "Always strong, no matter what!"

The hare slapped the back of the boy, the force causing him to fall on his stomach.

"I said in a time period or two, not right now…" the prince groaned.

"Oh sorry," the carrot-topped girl muttered, her ears bent low.

"Mou~! Amai-chan, look at what you did!" Natsuki pouted.

"I'm sorry," the hare child muttered.

"Don't worry, I'm fine just a little sore," the lad admitted, his face still on the floor.

"We will have an ice pack sent for you," the Vivaldi stated, "Maid."

One of her servants, who had brought the dressing for the wounds, left the room

She too dressed for bed, a long violet nightgown flowed to her ankles. The foreigner also wore her usual camisole. Her aquamarine eyes couldn't help but notice something.

"Tori, stop scratching your bandage," she scolded.

As the kitten continued to paw at the compress on her cheek, she complained, "I can't help it, it's itchy."

Utako tilted her head, her marine eyes spaced out for a little bit, and then turned towards Alice "Hey, Onee-san, how come vets put cones around dog's heads?"

"Well," Alice started, "I think it's because dogs tend to lick their injuries or stiches, it could infect it or open it even more, so vet put cones around heads so they can't lick themselves."

"What stitches? Like stiches of clothes?" Tama inquired.

"Kinda," Yumeko replied, "Do you remember when your Okaa-sama accidently dropped her wedding ring in your little sister's stuff toy, so she had to cut it open and when she got the ring, she sewed it back up?"

The deep haired girl started to laugh, "Yeah that definitely rings a bell."

"Well when a doctor does surgery, they has to do the same things, only with skin instead of cloth and the thread and stitching is different," her ash haired friend concluded.

"Wow Yumeko!" Takara stated.

"How did you know all that?" Fumiko asked.

The half-demon rubbed the back of her head, "Well, I since I go to the hospital a lot with my Otou-sama, I tend to pick up bits of information."

"You have to go to the hospital often?" Alice questioned.

"It's actually mostly for my Otou-sama, my siblings and me usually go so Otou-sama is calmer," the girl started to chuckle a bit, "Sometimes Okaa-sama says that us kids have to get a checkup and while we are there Otou-sama should get one as well, but in the end, only he gets one."

"Sounds like getting your father into a hospital is always a struggle," the maiden commented.

"So, back to my question," Utako affirmed herself back into the conversation. "If we put a cone around Tora's head, would that stop her from scratching it?"

Alice replied, "More or less, yeah."

"_**Hey! Don't put a cone around my head!"**_ the cub growled. Her topaz eyes shifted and glittered with her plan.

Tora seemed to almost pounce on a spot next to the queen. The cat started to rub her covered cheek with the arm of the royal. Her response were two eyes completely enraptured, eyes glistening and deep blush, by the creature next to her.

The small red head scowled a bit, "Tora-chan, please stop using Vivaldi-onee-san, as a scratch post."

"I'm not," the kitten refuted, "I'm just showing some thanks for letting us stay here. Besides, she doesn't seem to mind," the child then looked up, smiley as cutely as possible. "Right?"

The majesty started to tremble, her crimson blush deepening to maroon, and soon enough, the girl found herself in a rose-smelling embrace.

"What a wonderful kitten!" Vivaldi exclaimed as she nuzzled the lass, "We only wish had something on hand for you."

Tora smiled, "its okay, Aneki, I'm not really hungry."

Not too far away, Midori swayed back and forth, constantly rubbing her eyes.

Aoi couldn't help but comment, "Umm… Midori-chan, you seem really sleepy…"

The little mouse pouted, "I'm not sleepy." A yawn larger than her came out of her mouth, so she added, "Maybe a little bit."

The copper haired girl shuffled over to Alice then promptly plopped her head on the foreigner's lap. "Ah…nice and soft…" she sighed before slipping into sleep.

Alice smiled, gently rubbing the hair between the cocoa brown ears. She seemed content as the other girls, set an ease by their happy attitudes.

"_Thank goodness, this is much better."_

Yet something yearned to break the mood, a question waiting to jump from the tip of the outsider's tongue. Her marine eyes peered at the boy propped up by pillows. She reached for a nearby pink pillow and gently set the mouse's head onto the soft fabric. The female started to scoot over towards the boy, while the small mouse noticed the lack of warmth and saw the pillow she really wanted creep away from her. The girl then started to slowly crawl towards her goal.

Once Alice sat right next to the boy she started to speak softly, "Hey Masahiko?"

Masahiko smiled up, "Yes? If you are offering a get-well kiss, I'm taking all I can take get." He leaned towards the woman, his cheek the closest thing to him.

"Well…"

"I'll give you some!" Natsuki raised her hand.

"I'll give you more!" Akahana declared.

"Since I hurt you before, I'll make up for it…with…kisses…" Amai added quietly.

Soon enough, the prince was trapped in another moving crowd, this time the sound of smooches instead of shouts. Only Midori was out of the mob, her head bobbing up and down, but still tried occasionally ducking her head in to try to a kiss or two.

Occasionally the boy's head would pop out, enough to let out small "Helps".

Vivaldi leaned away, shaking, trying to keep herself from laughing.

Alice chuckled, "You can save bunch of girls, but you need a girl to save you. Some prince you are."

The maiden waited for the violet mop to surface and quickly snatched some fabric she saw beneath it, catching a boy in plum pajamas. The girls stopped swarming the moment he was free.

"Thanks, if they had lipstick on, I'd really be a goner," the lad stated.

The foreigner, "No problem, now would you mind answering a question."

"Ask away."

"Do you know those girls who performed in Joker's circus today?"

All of a sudden, you could swear you could have seen your breath if you let it out.

The boy started, rubbing the back of his head and fumbling around with his fingers, "Well you see…It's kinda…I do know them…but…"

Vivaldi huffed, "Out with it already."

The teen sighed, "Vivaldi…"

"Miaka and Tori …were our friends…"

Everyone turned to the sleepy mouse, who rose again slowly stumbling a bit.

"Midori…." Utako whispered.

"Miaka and Tori…used to play with us…we used to be friends…" A yawn escaped to Midori's lips. When she was right in front of the maiden, she lowered her head on the lap she wanted. As she snuggled, she said, "Then they starting acting meaner…and meaner…and now…they won't play with us…they won't even talk to us anymore…"

The girl seemed to slumber, the boy leaned in to make sure, he found himself with her lips on his forehead. After a second, she said with her eyes closed, "Get well and good night." Then she fell onto to the lap pillow, now completely asleep.

"I'm going to let that go…but only because I'm going to believe she was asleep when she did that," the white rabbit stated.

The pink kitten growled, "I'm not, whether she was asleep or not."

She grabbed a pillow and raised it, ready to slam it at her victim. Yet when quickly lowering it, Alice grabbed it out of her hands and smacked her with it, "That's enough of that."

She then cleared her throat and asked, "So what Midori said, is that true?"

"Yeah," Utako started, "We used to be really good friends.

"We used to play together all the time," Natsuki added.

"They would even let us into the circus sometimes, when there wasn't a show, just to show us around," Akahana stated.

"We got to see the performers practice," Takara continued.

"Sometimes we got to see new tricks being made," Fumiko joined in.

"We even got to see all the animals close up and even feed them," Amai added.

Tora sighed, "Those were some fun times."

"But as time went on, they started being mean to us," Aoi corrected.

"They never let us visit them anymore and they won't visit us," Tama frowned.

Yumeko shrugged, "I guess they didn't want to be our friends anymore…"

After some time in silence, the white rabbit let out a soft "I'm sorry Onee-chan…"

"For what?" the maiden questioned

"Well," the girl lowered her white mop, "remember when you came into the tent when you saw with our papas…well I kinda called my papa, Papa." Her small foot started to make circles.

The other girls realized that they had made the same mistake, they all showed signs of embarrassment and admitted they had done the same.

"I'm really sorry Onee-chan, it's just that in the tent…I saw my Mama…it's been so long…she hugged me just like she used to…she even rubbed my ears the same way….I thought I was going to go home…and then she…she…then I saw Papa…I couldn't help it" Natsuki started to tear up and lowered her head even more to hide it.

When a gentle touch caressed the rabbit's head, her red eyes suddenly snapped open, regardless of tears that spilled out. They looked up to see a gentle smile on Alice's face.

"I guess I should be mad at you for letting the secret out, but I know you wouldn't do on purpose. You were really scared, all of you," The foreigner looked up at all the other girls, besides the one who slumbered on her lap. "I'm really sorry I couldn't protect you from that."

Relieved, all the girls started to smile. "Don't worry Onee-chan, it was probably our fault for getting lost in the first place. We promise to never leave you again. How about we all hold hands, I call dibs on Onee-chan's!"

"Hey!" Akahana yelled, "I want to hold her hand too!"

Aoi grabbed some of the maiden's nightgown. "Can I hold your hand too?"

"Alright," the maiden agreed. "You can all take turns holding by hand."

The prince's eyes gleamed and ask, "Can I hold your hand too?"

"_**NO!" **_the girls all declared.

"Besides we feel that your secret is safe," Vivaldi added.

"Really how come?" the outsider asked.

"If those men haven't realized, that those men haven't realized that these adorable girls are their daughters by now, they probably never will," the royal stated.

_***KNOCK! KNOCK!***_

"Enter," the royal commanded.

The maid from before returned, this time with a bag filled with ice. "The ice bag you requested, your majesty."

"Hand it over to me," the sovereign declared.

When the cold pack was in her hand, the monarch dismissed the maid who bowed silently and quietly left the room.

"Now tell us where it hurts," Vivaldi stated as she sat near her son.

"I can put it on him!" the white rabbit volunteered, a hand waving in the air.

"No, I'll do it Aneue!" Akahana offered, both fist trying to get attention.

The other girls offered their assistance and their free moving hands.

The queen then smiled at the girls, "Thank you so much so your generosity girls, but we can take care of our own son." She turned toward the boy, "Now where do you want this?"

The prince looked at the girls and responded, "Anywhere you see little fingerprints or kiss marks."

The girls let out a collective, "We're sorry…"

* * *

As the maid continued down the hall, her mind continued to review all that she had heard. When she heard Natsuki's confession, she couldn't help but stop and continue to listen. The faceless, the servants especially, thrived on gossip about the Roleholders.

She wondered how long would it take for her to reach her coworkers for her next shift.

* * *

Would write more down here, but I think I have a black eye coming on.

Don't ask.

I'll talk to you all later.

There is nothing sadder than no reviews on a freshly written chapter…

Or melted pocky

Daisuki!


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